Joeffrey Rene Assoumani, an 18-year-old Rwandan footballer based in Danmark, has called up fellow young talents to come and play for the national team Amavubi. Assoumani plays for Danish second division side Hellerod Fordbold. Speaking to Weekend Sport, Assoumani, who received his first call-up in the Amavubi U-23 team last month, said that he was excited to represent his ‘motherland’ and wished more Rwandan players living abroad would consider it, too. “I would like to call up every young Rwandan football player who lives abroad to come play for motherland. There is no greater honour,” said Assoumani. However, his chance crashed down at last minute after Rwanda pulled out of the 2021 Cecafa U-23 Challenge Cup owing to a worsening Covid-19 situation in the country. The regional Cecafa tournament is underway in Ethiopian city of Bahir Dar, and runs from July 17 to 31. Nine countries; Tanzania, Eritrea, Kenya, Burundi, South Sudan, Uganda, DR Congo, Djibouti and hosts Ethiopia are challenging for the title. Born to a DR Congolese father and Rwandan mother, Assoumani and his family moved to Denmark when he was 9. He has played football since the age of 12. Asked about who inspires him in the current senior Amavubi, the young forward said he looks up to Jacques Tuyisenge, a striker for champions APR and assistant captain of the national team. “I want to be playing for big clubs and the senior national team in five years.”
