Dreams do come true, especially for people who put in the effort and determination to beat the odds, says 24-year-old Tresor Ndabarasa. The professional footballer recalls watching a young neighbour playing football on the streets of Kayonza, but what really impelled him to love the sport was the attention and cheer the neighbour got from people who watched him. At the age of eight, Ndabarasa longed for such attention and exhilaration. So he joined Kayonza Academy where his passion for football was enhanced. He says that he kept his training a secret, because his parents didn’t think of football as something serious. Since he was expected to study hard and get good grades, asking his parents for permission to play football meant ruining his chances to continue with something that he had fallen in love with. “In 2013, the academy organised football competitions that were sponsored by Coca Cola and Airtel, I trained tirelessly to prove to myself that I was good at it. My parents had no idea that I was part of the competition, only to check the newspaper and there I was among other players. We were in the semi-final of the game. The good news is that my team emerged winner and we walked away with prizes, money and trophies,” he says. Ndabarasa says that on reaching home with a gold trophy and an excited face after the victory, his father seemed impressed and gave him a go-ahead to play soccer. Unfortunately, in S3, he couldn’t do both equally, he gave more time to football and his performance in class significantly declined. “It seemed like a nightmare, dropping from the top three performers to the second last position, in a class of 33 students,” he says, a thing that obviously didn’t sit well with his parents. Ndabarasa recalls that his father was furious and disappointed. “He kept my football shoes and asked me to concentrate on my studies. But I didn’t quit my training. I purchased a pair of second-hand soccer boots. I didn’t know how to convince my parents that I could excel in academics and sport. I didn’t want to drop something that had brought me so much joy.” Nervous, he sat his parents down and promised that if given another chance to play the game, he would improve, which they unenthusiastically allowed. He later joined Interforce FC where he trained in the evenings and studied in the morning. With time, his performance improved. While there, he learned control, technical ability, pace and rules, and so forth. After two years, he felt it was time to move on. He joined Isonga Academy where he played in the second division. “It’s at that point that I began considering football as a profession. I watched myself grow, believed in myself, worked effortlessly, and started to earn compliments, appreciation and encouragement from the professional footballers that I looked up to. I worked even harder to attain the first division position,” he says. Ndabarasa says that after one year, he joined the Gasogi United FC, still playing in the second division. While there, he learned that Bugesera FC was searching for seven talented players, out of 100 contestants, he was the third to be chosen. It is there that he accomplished his first division goal and gained what he was looking for; distinction, skills, and money from the sport. In the first game he played with Bugesera FC, he points out that he attained ‘man of the match’, a title he earned for his outstanding performance. He won a gold trophy. Ndabarasa says that every win boosted his confidence, and pushed him to do better. In the first round, he was among the top three youngest players. Unfortunately, in the second round, he fell and injured his left leg. The injury kept him away from the pitch for over a year. He was operated, and after a year of recovery, went into physiotherapy for eight months. “The pain was too much to bear. I wanted to quit. But then when I looked back at how far I had come, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to let my effort disappear just like that. After recovering completely, Gasogi United FC called me and I signed a contract with them, and I am with the team today,” he says with a smile. The youngster has no doubt that the future is bright. He anticipates playing for international teams and tournaments like the Premier League. His inspiration is Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júniora, a Brazilian professional footballer known as one of the greatest left-backs of all time. “We both play with our left legs, and in the same position.” Ndabarasa is the captain of Gasogi United FC, and earns enough money in the profession to pay his tuition and cater for his other needs. He believes that many young people should take on professions like football as they pay well and don’t require academic qualifications. The footballer calls upon the government and stakeholders to construct more pitches to allow young people to practice the sport. He is currently pursuing a course in civil engineering at Kigali Independent University (ULK).
