As 2025 draws to a close, Rwanda’s sports landscape once again finds itself grappling with the same disappointments that have plagued it for years. From football and basketball to cycling, athletics, cricket and tennis, the country's national teams and clubs were met with recurring setbacks on both continental and global stages. Despite renewed vigour and high hopes at the start of the year, the persistent challenges of underachievement and missed opportunities continued to define Rwanda’s sports. The year began with optimism, as athletes and teams entered various competitions with the belief that they could finally break free from the cycle of failure. Yet, as the months unfolded, the results once again mirrored the frustration that has become all too familiar for sports fans across the nation. Football: Amavubi’s elusive dream Football has long been a sport of great passion in Rwanda, and the national team, Amavubi, entered 2025 with renewed hope. The goal was clear – qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations. However, by the end of the year, the dream of representing Rwanda on the world’s biggest football stage had once again slipped away. The World Cup qualifiers were a bitter disappointment, with Amavubi failing to advance after a 3-0 loss to South Africa in the final qualifier. Despite some promising performances early on, including a thrilling 2-0 home win over Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana and a draw with Zimbabwe, subsequent result left the team with little chance of making it to the finals in USA, Canada and Mexico. Rwanda’s failure to win key matches at home to Lesotho and Nigeria, left them in fifth place in their group with a record of 3 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses. Coach Adel Amrouche acknowledged the team's defensive frailties and the evident gap in quality between Rwanda and their African counterparts. Rwanda’s struggles were further compounded in the AFCON qualifiers, where their hopes were dashed by a 1-0 loss to Libya in June. On the final day, Rwanda stunned Nigeria 2-1 in Uyo, but it was Benin who ultimately clinched the second qualification spot in Group D. A 0-0 draw against Libya in Tripoli was enough for the Squirrels to join group winners Nigeria in Morocco, as they edged Rwanda on head-to-head record. Rwanda’s last appearance in AFCON came in 2004, and with another failed campaign, it seems the gap between Rwanda and the top African teams remains vast. APR and Rayon flatter again While the national team struggled, Rwanda’s top clubs faced similar challenges on the continental stage. APR FC, the dominant force in the Rwanda Premier League, had high hopes of making a deep run in the CAF Champions League. But after a disappointing 2-0 loss at home to Egyptian side Pyramids FC, their dreams were dashed with a 3-0 defeat in Cairo, sending them packing in the early stages. This defeat highlighted the stark contrast in quality between Rwanda’s clubs and the continental heavyweights. Rayon Sports also faced a difficult year in the CAF Confederation Cup. Despite their best efforts, the club was eliminated by Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars, falling 3-1 on aggregate after a 2-1 loss in the second leg. Rayon’s coach maintained an optimistic outlook despite the disappointment, stressing the need for improvement and learning from these painful experiences. Basketball: A year of mixed fortunes Basketball, another sport with high hopes for Rwanda, also proved to be a letdown in 2025. The men’s and women’s teams entered the Afrobasket tournament with dreams of advancing, but both teams fell well short of expectations. The men’s team suffered a string of losses, including a crushing 75-62 defeat to Cape Verde, which sealed their elimination from the group stages. With three straight defeats, the team was left to reflect on what could have been. Meanwhile, the women’s team, which had previously finished third in the 2025 Afrobasket, struggled mightily. A poor 11th-place finish out of 12 teams in Ivory Coast marked a dramatic decline in performance. Things were better at club level –APR (men) took third place in the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season by defeating Al Ittihad Alexandria 123-90. This stunning victory set several BAL records, including most points scored by a team in a single game. APR achieved the best BAL record for a Rwandan team, surpassing the Patriots Basketball Club, which finished fourth in 2021. APR women too secured the bronze medal after avenging their opening-game loss to ASC Ville de Dakar, edging the Senegalese side 90-84 in overtime in the third-place playoff. The contest, a repeat of last year’s bronze-medal game, followed a similar script, as the Rwandan champions recovered from a slow start to finish the tournament with a 5 –1 record and claim a podium. Cycling: Lukewarm relationship with UCI champs Cycling remains one of Rwanda’s most celebrated sports, largely due to the achievements of athletes like Adrien Niyonshuti and Valens Ndayisenga. Yet, despite the prestige of hosting the 2025 UCI World Road Championships in Kigali, the performances of Rwanda’s cyclists left much to be desired. While the country has long been proud of its cycling community, the UCI event proved to be a harsh reminder of the challenges that lie ahead for Rwanda’s riders. Despite being on home soil, Rwanda’s cyclists failed to make an impact in the event, and the results were underwhelming. Athletics: A glimpse of hope, but not enough In athletics, there was a faint glimmer of hope, but it quickly faded into disappointment. At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo – Rwanda’s athletes, including Félicien Muhitira and Yves Nimubona, failed to make a significant mark in their event. Both men entered the full marathon competition with high aspirations, but neither managed to complete their race. While Nimubona did not finish, Muhitira did not even start the race. Clementine Mukandanga, the sole female representative from Rwanda, did manage to finish the race, clocking a season-best time of 2:58:00. Cricket: Struggling to find consistency Rwanda’s cricket team also faced challenges in 2025, with their performance in the Kwibuka T20 Women’s International Tournament falling short of expectations. After a loss to Uganda, which handed them a fourth-place finish, the team was left to reflect on what went wrong. Despite playing with heart and passion, Rwanda’s cricket team lacked the consistency needed to compete with the top sides. Tennis: Able hosts, but weak competitors The tennis M25 tournament returned to Kigali and Rwandan players didn't go beyond the earlier rounds. Rwanda’s top seed Claude Ishimwe and countryman Emmanuel Manishimwe suffered straight-set defeats, both losing 6–0, 6–0 to Marlon Vankan (GER) and Yassine Dilmi (MAR), respectively. Etienne Niyigena and David Manzi Rwamucyo also exited in the first round. Niyigena lost 6-2, 6-3 to Rodrigo Alujas (MEX), while Rwamucyo lost to Florent Bax (FRA) 6-0, 6-0. The results ended hopes of a home win in the singles main draw, in both week 1 and week 2 tournaments, respectively. The story in the 2025 Rwanda Challenger 75 and 100 tournaments was even more dire for the home prospects as none made it past the qualifying round, albeit entering as wildcards. Any optimism? Yes and no! Well, 2025 may have been a year full of disappointments, but the silver lining is that Rwanda’s athletes continue to show resilience. From the national football team to basketball, cricket, and cycling, the hunger to improve remains strong. Yet, as the familiar pattern of underachievement persists, the need for stronger infrastructure, better coaching, and more investment in grassroots programmes is more evident than ever. And in a world of recurring déjà vu, perhaps the biggest challenge for Rwanda’s sports is breaking the cycle.
