Eric Rutanga is one of the most famous products of the Rwanda U-17 national team that participated in the 2011 FIFA U17 World Cup in Mexico.

Before he was summoned to beef up the youth team in 2010, not very many people in the country knew who he was. Nearly eight years later, Rutanga has become one of the key players for his club – Rayon Sports – and the senior national football team – Amavubi.

This week, Saturday Sport’s Damas Sikubwabo had a one-on-one interview with the Rayon Sports and Amavubi’s left-back on his still relatively young but definitely promising career.

Rutanga hails from the same generation as teammate Yannick Mukunzi, APR’s trio of Herve Rugwiro, Maxime Sekamana and Fiston Nkinzingabo as well as Bugesera FC’s Barnabe Mubumbyi to mention a few.

Who is Rutanga?

Born to Ignace Kabengera and Anatalia Mukanyarwaya on November 3, 1993 in Gasabo District, City of Kigali, Rutanga is the fourth-born from a family of six; five boys and one girl.

He is married to Shemsa Umunyana, with whom they have one daughter – Taaliah Isimbi.

He attended Remera Protestant Primary School and went to Kanombe-based EFOTEC for Senior One before switching to La Colombiere for the remainder of his O’level studies. He completed his secondary school studies from APE Rugunga in 2012, where he majored in the History-Economics-Geography (HEG) combination.

Rutanga’s football passion was largely inspired by Amavubi legends Jimmy Gatete and Olivier Karekezi. Globally, he looks up to Real Madrid and Brazil left-back Marcelo Vieira.

Early days

Rutanga started believing he can make it to the top of local football in 2008 when he joined Kimisagara-based Esperance academy, but until then, football to him was just for leisure.

After almost one year at Esperance, the then 15-year old Rutanga was quickly spotted by APR Academy – which he joined the following year. Two years later, he was selected among the inaugural 25-youngster class that started with Isonga FC in 2011 after the FIFA U17 World Cup.

After his maiden season in the topflight league with Isonga in July 2012, Rutanga was part of the eight players that APR signed from Isonga, a blow the youthful side never recovered from as they got relegated to second tier league after the 2012/2013 season.

Life at APR & controversial move to Rayon

Rutanga plied his trade at the military side for four seasons, spanning from 2012 to 2016, where he won three league titles and two Peace Cup silverware among other titles. He also played continental football during the four years his side never made it past the preliminary or first round stage in any competition – CAF Confederation Cup or Champions League.

His first non-local tournament in APR shirt came in 2013 at the EAC Military Games staged in Nairobi, Kenya where they finished in third position.

However, more often than not, Rutanga was used as a substitute during his four-year spell at APR – which he never appreciated and it eventually prompted him to part ways with the club at the end of the 2015/2016 season – crossing to archrivals Rayon Sports along with centre-back Abdoul Rwatubyaye and midfielder Yannick Mukunzi.

"I gave my best at APR but my efforts were never appreciated, I deserved better than sitting on the bench all the time. But what forced me to leave in particular was missing out on the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda. Had I been a regular at club level, I would have made it to the final Amavubi list for the tournament,” Rutanga regrets.

After helping APR to win their record 16th league title in 2016, Rutanga joined Rayon Sports and has since been one of the club’s key players – helping the ‘Blues’ to win the league title in 2017 – the first since 2013.

He also played an integral part in guiding Rayon Sports to a historic feat this year as the country’s first side to reach group stages in any CAF competition.

Duties in national teams

Rutanga was first called up to the national U-17 team to play in the 2011 Africa Youth Championship held in Kigali and later the FIFA World Cup in Mexico the same year.

The Rayon Sports left-back is one of the few players who have grown from one national team level to another, from U17, to U20 to U23 and finally to the senior team. He earned his first national team call-up up the senior national team in 2013.

In 2015, Rutanga was in Amavubi that won 1-0 over Mozambique to register a perfect start to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers campaign in Maputo. However, he never made a single appearance for the national team the following year – largely influenced by his poor season at APR.

In November 2017, the full-back helped Amavubi to upset Ethiopia with a spectacular free-kick as Rwanda won 3-2 in Addis Ababa in the two nations’ play-off for a ticket to the 2018 CHAN finals in Morocco.

Last December, he was part of Antoine Hey’s Amavubi that were unceremoniously eliminated from the Group stages at the 2017 Cecafa Senior Challenge in Kenya.

He also was part of the very team that was knocked out from preliminary round at this year’s African Nations Championship in Morocco. The hosts won the tournament.

What’s your unforgettable moment in football?

To start with the positive side of memories, I will never forget that I was part of Rayon Sports that saw off Mozambique’s Costa do Sol in playoffs to reach CAF Confederation Cup’s group stage this year – the first time by any Rwandan football club.

On the other side, I can also never forget the regrettable exit from this year’s CHAN finals in Morocco after conceding a stoppage time goal. We lost the game 1-0 to Libya, we lost the knock-outs ticket to the same group opponent in a winner-take-all encounter.

What is your greatest football moment?

My greatest moment in football would be Rayon Sports’ 1-0 victory over APR to win the 2017 Agaciro Development Fund tournament. I was the lone scorer.

Note of appreciation

"Many people have supported me since taking up football as a profession, especially my family. They have a special place in my heart,” Rutanga told Saturday Sport.

Other than family, Rutanga says he will be forever grateful to late Jean Paul Kalisa – his coach back in football academy days at Esperance de Remera.

Do you harbour ambitions to play professionally?

Of course I do, that is asking the obvious – I would love to one day play in Europe when the right time and right team comes, but at the moment I am happy at Rayon Sports.

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