Africa-Press – Rwanda. Rwanda’s Minister of state for Sports, Rwego Ngarambe has urged Arsenal fans to advocate for more African talents to join the English Club in the future.
Ngarambe was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 6th edition of the 2025 Arsenal Africa Fans Festival in Kigali, which has attracted over 600 Gunners from over 17 countries across the continent.
“As Arsenal fans, let us commit in our respective countries to do what it takes to see players from our countries playing for this great team of ours,” said Ngarambe, who wished the fans an enjoyable stay in the country.
The Minister, who was the guest of honor at the ceremony held at Kigali Universe on Friday, April 18, playfully acknowledged club’s humbling of Real Madrid in the UEAFA Champions League quarterfinals midweek.
“I want to thank you all for coming together for this special moment for our team; we are all Gunners, whether we want to be or not. So welcome to Kigali and enjoy yourselves,” he wished.
This year’s festival sees an increase with the addition of England and Eritrea joining the 15 expected countries for a weekend of football, charity, and cultural celebration.
As part of the 31st Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Arsenal fans will Saturday, April 19, pay their respects to the victims laid to rest at Ntarama Genocide Memorial. Later, they will celebrate a significant milestone with the unveiling of Aheza Healing and Career Center’s tech studio and participate in planting fruit trees in Bugesera.
Valentin Bigango, the president of the Rwanda Arsenal Fans Community (RAFC), explained that the new studio, set to launch on April 19, will be a space where dreams of charity, healing, and youth empowerment will become a reality.
“This festival is more than goals and celebration; it’s about sports as a driver for growth, charity that brings healing, tourism that reveals beauty, and culture that builds bridges,” said Bigango.
The Arsenal fans in Kigali come from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi, Ghana, Ethiopia, Botswana, Liberia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, the UK, Namibia, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
The event will conclude on Sunday, April 20 with friendly matches and a live screening of Arsenal’s Premier League match against Ipswich Town at the Kigali Universe complex.
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