Meet Butera, the inspirational APR midfielder

Andrew Buteera is one of the most famous products of the Rwanda U-17 national team that participated in the 2011 U-17 Fifa World Championships in Mexico. Before he was summoned along with his former Proline FC team mate Charles Tibingana Mwesigye to beef up the junior team in 2010, not very many people in Rwanda knew who he was—and nearly four years later, Buteera has become one of the key players for his club and senior national team. Recently, Saturday Sport conducted a one-on-one interview with the APR and Amavubi Stars inspirational midfielder on his still relatively young but definitely promising career. Who is Andrew Buteera? I was born in Uganda to John Buteera and Milly Namuleme. I am a God fearing person; I love my country Rwanda, that’s why I am always determined to put my body on the line whenever I put on the national team jersey. What really pushes you into playing football? Nothing so special other than the love of the game—it was my own idea to play football. No one in my family inspired me because none of them played it. It all started at the age of six when I joined a local academy in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb, I played in my school teams and at the age of 16 I was spotted by (Uganda) Super League side Proline FC. After one season with Proline, I was called to the national U-17 team to play in the 2011 Africa Youth Championships and later the Fifa World Cup the same year. The following year, I signed a contract with APR FC where I have been for two seasons now and still moving towards achieving my goals. How do you handle the pressure of playing for a big club like APR? To be honest, football is a game of pressure and a good player knows how to handle big games, being nervous is natural but when the game starts there’s no room for that. I apply coolness or toughness where necessary and boost my confidence because I hate to lose a game. How is your relationship with coaches? When you see a coach’s attitude towards a player, it’s definitely brought by a player’s performance. If I do what the coach asks then I am likely to have a good relationship with the coach and vice versa. Who is your favourite player internationally and why? I like Barcelona and Spain midfielder Xavi Hernandez. Why? Because he is a great player, who never loses possession, has great vision, great skills, good game reading, and controlling the rhythm and the pace of the game. As a midfielder, I would love to posses such qualities. What’s your unforgettable moment in football? The moment I will never forget is when we (U-17 team) lost against Uruguay in the last minutes of the game to deny us the chance to progress to the next stage of the World Youth Championship in Mexico. And what are your great moments in football? My greatest moment in football was during the U-17 Championship when we beat Egypt to qualify for the Fifa World Cup and also the day when I received my call to the senior national team—putting on the national colours is a dream come true. Outside football, which person inspires you the most? I am inspired by President Paul Kagame because of the support and passion he is providing to football and other sports. I also appreciate the way he leads the country through unity and reconciliation, economic development, and regional integration 20 years since the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. How do you find the Rwandan fans and their support during matches? We all have to work hand in hand in order boost morale for both fans and players. When the team plays well, of course fans will appreciate but if things are not going well on the field, the fans will definitely go quiet—yet that is when the players need their support even the more. Where do you get your motivation? Motivation is an important part of the game. First the coach plays his part as far as the game approach is concerned, then the players on the pitch with a motivated mind. Whether a win or loss, football is a beautiful sport. So we give our best until the last whistle blows. But the coach has to play a big part in motivating the players. How do you manage to mix football and school? To be a star in class and on the pitch is possible but very hard to balance especially when football is already your job, but the same goes for work, friends, family because life is all about balancing time, that’s how I do it. What is your favourite color? My favorite colour is blue. What is your favorite national team apart from Amavubi? I love the Spanish national team What is your favourite league? My favorite league is La Liga and I love FC Barcelona, they play the kind of football that I enjoy to watch and play too. Do you harbour ambitions to play professionally? Of course I do, that is asking the obvious—I would love to one day play in Europe when the right time and team comes, but at the moment I am happy at APR FC.