Two earlier defeats to Chuck Gaga made Friday’s national eFootball final a test of resilience for Olivier Munezero Hugue, but he turned the tables with a 3-2 victory at BK Arena to claim Rwanda’s sole ticket to the SportsBiz Africa (SBA) Esports Cup and a Rwf1 million prize.
The victory capped a 12-hour tournament in which 10 players competed for the continental berth. The SBA Esports Cup will return to BK Arena on September 12-13, with a $5,000 prize pool.
Gaga, who had eliminated Munezero twice earlier in the competition, finished runner-up and took home Rwf500,000.
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Munezero’s route to the final was far from straightforward. Five players advanced from the opening stage, with three progressing directly to the next round. A best-loser rule then brought in a fourth player, with Munezero earning the spot as the strongest performer among those eliminated.
He eventually reached the final, where he faced Gaga for the third time after suffering two earlier defeats to him.
"He had eliminated me in both games and made me a best loser, so meeting him again in the final was difficult,” Munezero told Times Sport. "But I believed I had to win, and I made it.”
The victory gives Munezero his first opportunity to represent Rwanda in an international esports competition, an ambition he has pursued since starting out with the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise in 2009 before switching to eFootball in 2022.
"Getting an opportunity like this, representing Rwanda and winning the competition is a blessing,” he said.
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Munezero said he wants to use the opportunity to raise the profile of esports in Rwanda while pursuing his ambition of becoming a professional player.
"My big plan is to do everything I can so that eFootball and esports in Rwanda have an image that makes everyone know that Rwanda can compete,” he said.
However, he identified limited support, a lack of regular competitions and unreliable internet infrastructure as major obstacles for Rwandan players seeking to compete internationally.
"I wish to go professional, but the challenge is support, regular competitions and low-latency internet,” Munezero said. "Sometimes we play international competitions and lose because of a strong internet connection on the other side.”
For organiser Ronald Junior Shema, the tournament was an important step towards giving esports greater visibility and encouraging young people to take competitive gaming seriously.
"This is the first time we have hosted the game at the national level,” Shema said. "I want to encourage young people to join esports because it keeps them engaged, develops strategic thinking and teaches them how to work under pressure.”
Shema said Rwanda needs stronger structures and greater investment if esports is to develop into a sustainable career.
"To make esports a viable career, we need structured league formats that provide consistent income, alongside corporate investment from brands outside the gaming space,” he said.
"We also need dedicated gaming hubs with high-speed, low-latency infrastructure and formal recognition of esports by sports authorities.”
Munezero will now turn his attention to his first international assignment, where he will face leading players from across Africa, including representatives from Kenya, South Africa, Madagascar, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt and Morocco, at the SBA Esports Cup.
Rwanda will also be represented by its EA SPORTS FC console champion, giving the country five representatives across the major football esports titles.
For Munezero, the September tournament will be an opportunity to prove that Rwanda’s growing mobile gaming community can compete on the continental stage.
"I want to do everything I can to show that Rwanda can play and compete at the international level,” he said.