Rwandan women footballers Iradukunda Brillante and Mutuyemariya Florentine, popularly known as Kalaba, have joined Djibouti club FC Ujeco after impressing during the recent CECAFA Women’s Championship qualifiers for the CAF Women’s Champions League.
The duo were part of five Rwandan players recruited by FC Ujeco for the regional tournament, which was held in Kigali and featured champions from East and Central Africa competing for the region’s sole place in the CAF Women’s Champions League.
Iradukunda, a forward, and Mutuyemariya were initially brought in to strengthen the Djiboutian side during the tournament. Their performances were enough to convince the club to retain them beyond the competition.
The two players have now travelled to Djibouti to continue their careers with FC Ujeco.
Iradukunda previously played for Kigali WFC before recently joining Indahangarwa WFC, while Mutuyemariya was also part of the Kigali WFC squad that was relegated to Rwanda’s second division last season.
The pair are now set to become the latest Rwandan women footballers to pursue opportunities abroad, as the women’s game continues to open up more regional opportunities for local players.
The other three Rwandan players who represented FC Ujeco during the CECAFA qualifiers were Uwineza Djazira, Mukandayisenga Nadine and Ingabire Aline.
For Iradukunda and Mutuyemariya, the move to Djibouti represents a fresh opportunity to gain international experience and further develop their careers away from Rwanda.
