Kimenyi opens up on career-ending injury, family life

Former Rwanda goalkeeper Yves Kimenyi has opened up about the injury that brought his football career to an early end, life after the game and the reports that have surrounded his personal life. Kimenyi, who officially retired in February at the age of 33, revealed that persistent injuries played a major role in his decision to step away from football. His career was significantly disrupted during his time at AS Kigali in 2023 when he suffered a serious injury following a heavy collision with former Musanze FC striker Peter Agblevor at Ubworoherane Stadium. ALSO READ: Agblevor apologises after horrific challenge on goalie Kimenyi The collision left Kimenyi down on the pitch crying in pain before the medics took him off and rushed him to hospital. It was the last time the keeper appeared in a competitive match. “It’s very difficult to explain that injury. If there has ever been a more painful injury in my life, it is that one,” Kimenyi recalled. “What affected me most was seeing myself go from walking on my own to walking on crutches. It wasn’t easy to accept, and it really affected me mentally,” he said. The shot-stopper, who also featured for some of Rwanda’s top clubs, including APR FC, Rayon Sports and Kiyovu SC, spent more than two years undergoing rehabilitation. Despite the lengthy recovery, Kimenyi remained hopeful of returning to competitive football. However, his injury ultimately made that impossible. By the time he officially retired, the former Amavubi goalkeeper said he had already been considering the decision for some time. “I really wanted to come back. I tried to force it, but it didn’t work,” he said. Kimenyi said the injury occurred just months before his wedding to socialite Claudine Uwase Muyango, adding that the situation also took an emotional toll on him. “I was thinking about how I was going to put on my suit and go to the wedding with a leg sling. I was mentally affected, although the doctor had assured me that I would have healed in time for my wedding,” he said. Family life Kimenyi also broke his silence on his relationship with his wife, Muyango, amid reports about their separation. The couple are going through divorce proceedings after taking their separation to court. While declining to discuss the matter in detail, Kimenyi said they remain on good terms and harbour no animosity towards each other. “She and I get along well as friends; there is no problem. It is normal for disagreements to happen and for people to part ways. I will tell my side of the story another time when the moment is right. We will also invite her to share her perspective,” he said. Kimenyi and Muyango have a son, Miguel Yanis Kimenyi. ‘Heartbreaking’ CHAN elimination One of the most talked-about moments of Kimenyi’s career was Rwanda’s quarter-final elimination from the 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Cameroon. The former goalkeeper revealed that the day Muyango told him she was pregnant coincided with the day Amavubi were knocked out of the tournament by Guinea. “It is impossible to fully recapture exactly how I felt when she told me. She broke the news in the evening while we were in Cameroon for CHAN,” Kimenyi recalled. Kimenyi came on after starting goalkeeper Olivier Kwizera was sent off for a foul on Guinea striker Yakhouba Barry outside the penalty area. He dismissed suggestions that he was responsible for Moryale Sylla’s match-winning free-kick, which sent Rwanda out of the tournament. “To be honest, could I really have saved that free-kick? After the match, everyone seemed disappointed with me and I felt like people believed I had caused the team’s elimination,” he said. Reflecting on the aftermath, Kimenyi said he faced criticism online while simultaneously receiving one of the happiest personal updates of his life. “When I got on the team bus, I checked Twitter and saw all the memes people were sharing. At the same time, Mama Miguel had called me saying, ‘Come home, I miss you.’” Life beyond football Rather than withdrawing from the public eye after retirement, Kimenyi launched the Beyond 90 Initiative, a podcast and discussion platform aimed at inspiring young athletes and sports enthusiasts. Through the initiative, he hopes to draw on his experiences—both positive and difficult—to guide the next generation and demonstrate that life after football can be just as meaningful as a playing career.