Itangishaka and Mihigo: Rwanda’s emerging football families in Europe

There have been a host of football families in Africa over the years with siblings playing the game to the highest level. Ghana boasts of Abedi Ayew Pele, Kwame Ayew and Sola Ayew who were siblings and dominated the Ghana national senior team for many years. Abedi Ayew’s sons – Andre Ayew and Jordan Ayew – are now the mainstays of the Black Stars. Côte d’Ivoire also had the Toure brothers; Kolo Toure and Yaya Toure, as well as the Kone brothers – Bakary Kone and Aruna Kone – who all were members of the golden generation of the West African country. Today, there are two emerging football families of Africans in Europe; namely the Itangishaka and the Mihigo families, and are both Rwandan. Times Sport takes a look at the up and coming stars who constitute the two football families. Trey Ryan Itangishaka (Standard Liege, Belgium) Trey is the eldest of the Itangishaka brothers, he was born in Liege to Rwandan parents and started his career with Standard Liege where he went through the Academy system before being signed by Gent in 2020. He played just one season there and Standard Liege brought him back. The 20-year-old star is a midfield machine and has been the engine of the Standard Liege Under-21 team. Trey is one of the players set for promotion into the Liege senior team at the end of the 2021/22 season. On the international scene, he has already represented Belgium at the Under-17 level but he is still eligible to switch allegiance to Rwanda at senior level. Nathan Itangishaka (Feyenood, Netherlands) Nathan plays the same role as his brother, Trey, and has been very consistent in the Under-17 side of Dutch outfit Feyenoord Rotterdam. The 16-year-old enforcer started his career at Standard Liege and also played for Gent before Feyenoord, which is one of the pioneers when it comes to grooming talents, signed him in September last year. He is already carving a niche for himself at Feyenoord and is considered as one of the most outstanding players in the Dutch youth league. Aside from being a natural defensive midfielder, Nathan can also operate as a central defender. Jerushom Mihigo (DBU Bornholm, Denmark) Jerushom plays as an attacking midfielder and has been consistent in the Danish lower tier league. He started his career at Thisted FC where he went through the youth system before being snapped up by DBU in 2019. He was born to Rwandan parents in the Town of Thisted in the Jutlandic Island in Denmark, and is yet to be capped internationally. Chance Mihigo (Thisted FC, Denmark) Chance was promoted to the Thisted senior team in the summer of 2021 and has been ever present for them in the Danish second division league. He plays as defensive midfielder and is noted for his passing, strength as well as ability to offer enough protection for the back four. Just like his elder brother Jerushom, Chance is considered a huge prospect who can get to the apex of world football. Chance is also yet to be capped at international level.

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Itangishaka and Mihigo: Rwanda’s emerging football families in Europe