Grace Nyinawumuntu has participated in football for as long as she can recall.
She played-at the club level and for the national team, then she was a referee before beginning her coaching career. It is likely that Nyinawumuntu is the most popular name the country has ever produced in women’s soccer.
The former Central Defender, Rwanda’s first international female referee in 2004, won a record eight consecutive league titles as head coach of the AS Kigali Women’s Football Club. She was also the head coach of the National Team for three years between 2014 and 2017.
After three years of her contentious dismissal at AS Kigali, Nyinawumuntu says she wants to move into men’s football and “I hope opportunities will come”.
“I never imagined working in men’s football before, but right now I am certain it is where I want to be. I believe I have all the necessary qualifications and experience,” she said in an interview.
“Either for the head coach or assistant coach role, I am available and open for offers. I know I can do a great job. All I need is for one team to believe in my abilities, and I will not disappoint their faith in me.”
“Football is a male-dominated sport, even in women’s football. That is why it’s always difficult for women coaches to break into it and earn their place, but I am motivated to try.”
“If given a chance, and not held to a different set of standards than our male counterparts, I am confident I would succeed and inspire the next generation of women in football coaching.”
Nyinawumuntu is one of seven applicants for coaching at the soon-to-be opened PSG Academy in Rwanda. She is exceptionally experienced and has received many awards for her role in the growth of women’s football in the country.