His marauding runs down the right flanks don't go unnoticed in games, Samuel Nsengiyumva can be classified as a modern lateral defender with great technique and ability to burst forward and also track back to defend. The Gorilla FC youngster was among the standout players for the Amavubi U23 team in the famous 3-0 comeback victory over Libya in September 2022. In Nsengiyumva, Rwanda has a real talent which could get to the apogee of his career. Just like other young footballers in Rwanda, the 20-year-old started his career at the amateur level before moving to his current team Gorilla FC in 2019 when they were in the second division. I started playing football when I was very young. My first team was Nyamata Stars. Gorilla scouted me in 2019, I played one season there and we qualified to the Rwanda Premier League, Nsegiyumva told Times Sport in an interview. Despite his young age, Nsengiyumva has already straightened his path. He says that as a footballer, he always has to stick to rules and work tirelessly during training sessions and matches, as key ingredients that can push through his path to success. I am always disciplined both on and off the pitch. I try to respect the coaches and avoid violating their rules. That’s why I am here, he says. Again, football is about training and hard work. I don't joke with it, I always train extra so that I can be on top of my game, he adds. Nsengiyumva has not had a good start to the season due to injuries that kept him out for some few weeks but he hopes to be fit and get back to his peak when the league resumes on January 20. I can say it was not all that great for me because I had an injury and I was out for some time. I am now fit and I will go all out again to retain my form, he said. At international football, playing for the Amavubi U23 where he featured 90 minutes in each of the four qualifying games has been a precious pride for Nsengiyumva. He now targets to feature in the senior national team. I am happy my performance impressed the national team coaches before I got the U23 call up. My aim is to only get better and move forward to wearing the senior national team jersey sooner or later, the ambitious defender said. As a budding talent, Nsegiyumva indicated that he draws inspiration from Paris Saint-Germain and Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi whereas his best player in the local league is APR's Dominique Nshuti Savio. I really like Achraf Hakimi, we have the same qualities and same style of play. I look up to him and that is the level I want to reach. In the domestic league, my best player is Dominique Nshuti Savio of Police, he said. Nsengiyumva has not won any accolades yet, maybe because has not played for an elite club yet, but he insists that he was made to win trophies both in Africa and Europe.
