Amavubi legends Olivier Karekezi and Haruna Niyonzima have described former teammate Eric ‘Bakame’ Ndayishimiye as a best goalkeeper that Rwanda has produced and a role model to the younger generation.
Bakame on Monday, July 17, announced his retirement from professional football aged 35, an announcement that sparked emotional tribute messages from former teammates and coaches at club and country levels.
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The likes of Olivier Karekezi, Haruna Niyonzima, Yves Kimenyi, Eric Nshimiyimana and Emery Bayisenge are among several footballers and coaches who led tribute to the goalkeeper. They hail him as arguably one of the country’s most talented goalkeepers of all time.
"We thank him for his great contribution to the national team and his wonderful career; he was a great player for the country, he will be missed by the team,” former Amavubi captain Olivier Karekezi said of Bakame in an interview with Times Sport.
Bakame’s former teammate and brother-in-law Haruna Niyonzima said "Bakame is probably the best goalkeeper this country has ever produced and, if he has decided to retire while he could still carry on [playing], we must be happy for what he has achieved in football. He has made a good decision."
"It was a pleasure to have played alongside him [for both country and club] at various levels. It is always everyone’s wish to work with that type of player because they have a big influence on the rest of the team,” he added.
Former Amavubi U17 and U20 captain Emery Bayisenge also said, "I have known him as a good man, simple in society and, yes, we will always look at him as one of the best players Rwanda has ever had. He made me work hard in training because he had some jokes which helped players to enjoy the work and he would demonstrate as a good example.”
Bakame enjoyed a successful career between the posts during his time at defunct ATRACO, Rayon Sports, APR FC and AS Kigali among other teams.
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It was at APR FC, AS Kigali and Bugesera FC when he played under coach Eric Nshimiyimana. As Bakame embarks on a coaching career, a reunion with Nshiyimana is on the card with the pair now set to find themselves on the same touchline at Bugesera FC.
Nshimiyimana described Bakame as a player who listened to advice and coach’s instructions, who always wanted to learn, improve, increase and he always gave his best to the national team and clubs he played for.
"Bakame was an outstanding footballer, a role model and he always led by example. He was a good captain, responsible. He had good knowledge of the game, loved to play for the national team and always worked hard to win matches,” he said.
"He was a great player who had passion for football and dedicated hard work to his job,” he added.
Bakame has 57 national team caps to his name.
He enjoyed competition between the posts against different goalkeepers during his career spanning 19 years and Yves Kimenyi is one of them.
A then young Kimenyi always wanted to beat Bakame to the Number One spot between the sticks while on national team duty but he can only speak positively about the veteran who, he said, inspired him in his career.
"We learned a lot from him because he was one of the best goalkeepers Rwanda had ever produced. We wish him all the best for the next move," Kimenyi said.