KEVIN MONNET-PAQUET, a forward for French Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne, is open to represent Rwanda at international level if given a chance. The 32-year-old, born to a Rwandan mother and French father, revealed this in an interview with local radio B&B Umwezi on Wednesday. “It’s been a long time since the last time I was in Rwanda, but I often think about it. Many coaches have approached me about playing for Amavubi, I am now fit and ready to play for my country if I am called-up,” he said. Monnet-Paquet, who played for the France U-18, U-19 and the U-21 national teams, has not visited Rwanda since 1993. In an interview with Times Sport, Amavubi head coach Vincent Mashami also confirmed that he has discussed with Monnet-Paquet about playing for his national team side and “he could receive his first call-up in the near future. He is optimistic about representing Rwanda.” This publication understands that different Amavubi coaches and the leadership of the Rwanda Football Association (Ferwafa) have been trying to persuade Monnet-Paquet since 2012 but he was always hesitant in hope that he would represent France. However, he was never called-up by the senior French national team, having last played for the country’s U-21 team in 2009. If all goes well, Mashami says, Monnet-Paquet will be named on the squad to face Cape Verde and subsequent matches in the ongoing qualifiers for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals tournament. After two matches in Group F, Amavubi are yet to earn a point having lost to Mozambique and Cameroon. The next encounter will be against Cape Verde islands in November. Mozambique and Cameroon jointly top the group with 4 points each, while Cape Verde are third with 2 points. Rwanda has not taken part in the AFCON finals – Africa’s biggest football event – since the 2004 edition in Tunisia.
