Abdul Rwatubyaye
Kigali, Rwanda October 23, 1996 Currently playing for FK Shkupi(Prva Liga - Macedonia)Being a key player for the Rwandan national team since the u17s to the u20s, u23s and senior team, Abdul was always on our radar. And with the historical campaign of Rayon Sports in CAF Confederations Cup, it looked like the ideal moment for him to take a bigger step.
In 2018, Rayon Sports was the first Rwandan club ever to reach the group stage of CAF Confederations Cup with Abdul playing an important role. As if this wasn’t enough, they even advanced to the quarter-final after facing some of the top clubs in the continent such as Young Africans (Tanzania), USM Alger (Algeria) and Gor Mahia (Kenya), finishing second in the group behind USM Alger.
Abdul is a wonderfully athletic center back with great jumping who can completely dominate aerial plays defensively and also be a real menace in attacking set pieces. He has great timing, allowing him to execute some excellent and clean slide tackles, which are his trademark. This, added to his technical ability to pass and dribble out of the back comfortably, turns him into a very modern center back.
We initially provided him the opportunity to play in MLS for Sporting Kansas City, where he quickly adapted and even got the attention of their captain Matt Besler, who said this during an interview in April 24, 2019:
"I’ve been really impressed with his demeanor and the way he has adapted. Coming to America for some of these foreign players is such a culture shock that sometimes it takes a while (to adapt) and there are struggles. But it doesn’t really seem to be the case for Abdul. He’s come in with an open mind and been very outgoing. He’s very well-spoken and he’s been great to have on the team."