Rwanda U-15 head coach Thierry Hitimana has expressed satisfaction with his players’ progress at the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, despite a mixed start to the tournament. The Junior Amavubi finished the group stage with three wins and two defeats, collecting nine points from five matches. Rwanda began their campaign on a difficult note, suffering a 5-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire on October 24. However, Hitimana’s youngsters responded positively, bouncing back with a series of impressive performances. One of the highlights was a commanding 6-0 victory over Vanuatu on October 26, with Samuel Shema, Elvis Byiringiro, Gad Uwihoreye, Patrick Shema and Damascene Byukusenge among the scorers. Rwanda also recorded a convincing 4-1 win over the Turks and Caicos Islands before closing their group-stage campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Mauritania. Their other defeat came against Albania. Despite the mixed results, Hitimana believes the international exposure and lessons gained from competing against teams from different footballing backgrounds are just as important as the results themselves. “This tournament has been a fantastic learning opportunity for our boys. They have faced teams from different parts of the world, experienced different styles of play and learned important lessons both on and off the pitch,” Hitimana said. “We are happy with the way they responded after defeats. They showed character, discipline and a willingness to improve. These are young players who are still developing, and every match has helped them grow.” Unlike traditional tournaments, teams participating in the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival are not eliminated after the group stage. Instead, their results in the opening phase determine their placement in one of six performance tiers, from Tier A to Tier F, where they continue competing in knockout-format brackets. The competition now moves into the next phase, featuring Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches through October 28, 2026. Each tier will crown its own champion, allowing all participating teams to continue gaining valuable competitive experience. Hitimana believes the format is well suited to the development of young players, giving them more opportunities to compete, learn and build confidence on the international stage. “The most important thing at this age is learning and competing. The boys have gained international exposure, built confidence and experienced football at a high level. These are memories and lessons that will help them in their future careers,” he said. With three victories from five group-stage matches, Rwanda will look to build on their encouraging performances as they continue their campaign in Azerbaijan.
