Alice Niyoyita stands out as one of Rwanda's promising young football coaches. She currently coaches Indahangarwa Women Football Club (WFC), one of Rwanda’s best teams in the women’s top tier league. Much attention was turned to the 30-year-old when she helped the team win the Peace Cup 2025 after coming from behind to beat Rayon Sports Women 4-2 in the final in May. And, after winning her first major trophy as a coach, she realized that the sky is not the limit anymore as she envisions to achieve more as a coach, a new career in which she is seeking success after prematurely retiring from professional football as a player due to injuries. Niyoyita’s career path started to take shape when she was playing for Kamonyi WFC and the Rwanda national women’s team only to see her dream fade after suffering a lengthy injury on her right knee. Her deep-rooted passion for football seamlessly transitioned into coaching, beginning her journey with Indahangarwa WFC in the second division in the 2022–2023 season. Driven by her dedication, she made an immediate impact to the team’s quest to topflight promotion which they eventually achieved that similar season. Under Niyoyita, Indahangarwa quickly introduced themselves as new challengers in the top-tier league. And, after just one season, she guided the club to the Peace glory, beating league champions Rayon Sports in the final held at Amahoro Stadium. Not a bad season for the club which also finished second in the league. The journey has been quite a fairytale and Niyoyita can only see her journey successful as long as she can inspire other young women to make it in a sport that she believes is no longer a ‘man’s land.’ “Football not only made me who I am today but it also positively impacted my family. It changed personal opinions that a girl can’t play football. Beyond that, I am now helping other young women to correct that wrong narrative,” Niyoyita shared with Weekend Sport. Born in 1995, Niyoyita first kicked the ball at the age of six. She began taking football seriously during her secondary school years at GS Remera Rukoma, in Kamonyi District, where she was playing as a striker. She was part of the school team that represented Rwanda at the Federation of East African Secondary Schools Sports Associations (FEASSSA) Games in Kenya in 2010. ALSO READ: She-Amavubi out of CECAFA cup Niyoyita’s prolific goal-scoring instincts caught the attention of many club including Kamonyi WFC who signed her in right after FEASSSA Games. It took her four years to earn her maiden call-up in the national team for the 2014 women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers after finishing the season as the league top scorer with 30 goals, a performance that impressed then head coach Grace Nyinawumuntu. Her individual exploits were also acknowledged when she was nominated for the Best Female Player of the year award in 2013. “Of course, it was my first call-up in the national team, and I immediately made it in the starting 11 against Kenya in the first leg so I had to impress the coach,” she recalls. The team then traveled to face Kenya in the second leg. Niyoyita started the match but she had to be subbed off after she sustained a knee injury that regrettably forced her to prematurely retire from international football. ALSO READ: New scouting tournament in Kigali to unearth budding football talents “It wasn’t too serious at first, but after recovering, I continued playing for Kamonyi in the 2014–2015 season. However, I couldn’t finish the season because I needed to focus on my studies,” she explained. The unfortunate injury made her miss out on numerous opportunities, including an offer from a Arsenal WFC. “Losing that chance because of a knee injury took away the joy of playing. I would say that was another reason that made me think about quitting football,” she said. Finding new hope in coaching After hanging her boots, Niyoyita underwent a series of medical operation with support from the Rwandan Football Federation (FERWAFA) but her rehabilitation didn’t succeed. Her dream of playing football at the top level may have been cut short by the injury, but Niyoyita was so attacked to football that she paved a new path in coaching, a career she embarked on in 2021 when she attended courses for CAF License D before upgrading to a CAF License C a year later. With License C, she was qualified enough to start coach clubs in the second division. Her first assignment was Indahangarwa WFC where helped the team earn a promotion to the first division in the 2022/23 season. The team finished in eighth place in their first season in the topflight league and reached the final of the 2024 Peace Cup. “After promotion, we struggled with the level of competition because we retained most of our players and only added a few new ones. As a result, we finished eighth and lost the Peace Cup final,” she admitted. In the 2024/25 season, her third as coach, her squad, Indahangarwa, achieved a second-place finish behind champions Rayon Sports WFC, whom they subsequently triumphed over in the 2025 Peace Cup final. They lost against the same side in the final of the Heroes Cup. “I consider it a successful season. My players did a great job, and I especially thank our president, who supported us the most,” she added. In her early football days, Niyoyita regrets the time parents prevented young women from playing football and other sports in general but, at the same time, she is happy that the mindset has changed. “It couldn't be the same as for us, but hopefully now, based on what I see, parents are encouraging and guiding their kids through their dreams. This is not only happening in cities but also in rural areas, because money has started coming into football,” she noted. Comparing the past to the present, Niyoyita observes a significant increase in the level of competition. Contrary to the AS Kigali WFC Vs Kamonyi WFC rivalry which spanned nearly a decade, at least five strong teams namely Rayon Sports WFC, Indahangarwa WFC, AS Kigali WFC, Police WFC, Kamonyi WFC and Inyemera WFC stand out as title contenders before the season starts. She urges FERWAFA to recognize women footballers by awarding the best performers, as it is done in the men's category. She believes such recognition would greatly motivate women to venture into football. “The last time players received individual awards was a long time ago, and such recognition is very encouraging,” she said. ALSO READ: Goalie Adolphe Hakizimana joins APR as squad reshuffle continues Career aspirations? Niyoyita, now a CAF License C, hopes to grow professionally and academically by pursuing a master’s degree in finance. “My ambition is to keep pushing until I reach a high level. I hope to coach outside Rwanda once I obtain a CAF B or A Pro License, and also continue my studies.”
