{"id":33598,"date":"2023-01-16T17:13:01","date_gmt":"2023-01-16T17:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/who-is-florence-imanizabayo-rayon-sports-goal-machine"},"modified":"2023-01-17T04:18:05","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T04:18:05","slug":"who-is-florence-imanizabayo-rayon-sports-goal-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/who-is-florence-imanizabayo-rayon-sports-goal-machine","title":{"rendered":"Who is Florence Imanizabayo, Rayon Sports’ goal machine?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Not so long ago, Rayon Sports registered a women\u2019s team in the second women\u2019s league division. The club has been unstoppable and are already proving to be in a league of their own just like their top goal machine Florence Imanizabayo, a name that has been making headlines over the past few weeks.<\/p>\n

She has been at the heart of the club\u2019s winning form so far this season.<\/p>\n

Imanizabayo is a talented woman football player. The club\u2019s supporters and football enthusiasts in general have not known her for quite some time but her technical abilities and scoring instincts have left them with so much joy to watch her playing over and over.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old has since been at the centre of media attention since she scored seven goals during Rayon Women\u2019s entertaining 16-0 victory over Nyagatare WFC. She now leads the women\u2019s second division scoring charts with 17 goals in just five league games.<\/p>\n

She scored five goals during Rayon Women\u2019s opening game where they thrashed Gasabo WFC 16-0 victory. She then scored the lone goal against Bridge WFC before hitting seven during the club\u2019s 16-0 demolition of Nyagatare WFC.<\/p>\n

Imanizabayo also scored once during Blues\u2019 2-2 draw against Indahangarwa.<\/p>\n

But who is Imanizabayo?<\/p>\n

Born in Rubavu District, Western Province, Imanizabayo is the last born in a family of four.<\/p>\n

She fell in love with football at a tender age when she was in primary school. At 13, she started playing for her school during the inter-schools\u2019 competitions and, from there, people started admiring her talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom my young age, I liked watching football games but at that time I didn\u2019t know that I would play it and do it as a professional in the future. But when I started representing my school, I started gaining confidence that I could make it and play for the big clubs in the future,\u201d she told Times Sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really don\u2019t know where this talent came from because no one in my family has ever played football before,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Rayon Sports’ striker Florence Imanizabayo with the ball during a second women\u2019s league division match at Nzove training stadium. Photo: Courtesy.<\/p>\n

Her professional football journey started in 2013, when she joined top flight side Kamonyi WFC, before she joined AS Kigali WFC in 2016 where she spent six seasons until 2022. She joined Rayon Sports before the beginning of the second division women\u2019s league after terminating her contract with the City of Kigali-sponsored club.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlaying for Rayon Sports was one of my childhood dreams, so it was impossible to turn down the chance to realize my dream,\u201d Imanizabayo reflects on her shock move from AS Kigali to play the second division with the Blues.<\/p>\n

The attacker sees herself playing professional football in the near future while she also dreams of qualifying Rwanda to the Women\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy vision is to play football at a higher competitive level outside Rwanda. I want to one-day play Champions League football and other big tournaments and I would also like to qualify my country to the Women\u2019s AFCON and the World Cup…who knows,\u201d an ambitious Imanizabayo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be an inspiration to the other young talented women in Rwanda aspiring to play football. I want to show them that football or any other sport wasn\u2019t made only for men,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Imanizabayo was first called up in the national team in 2016. She has won five league titles and six Peace Cups with AS Kigali Women.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old has since been at the centre of media attention since she scored seven goals during Rayon Women\u2019s entertaining 16-0 victory over Nyagatare WFC<\/p>\n

The striker Florence Imanizabayo celebrates her goal during a recent match.<\/p>\n\r\n