For many footballers, hanging up their boots marks the end of a long journey.
For former Rwanda international goalkeeper Nizeyimana Alphonse, popularly known as Ndanda, retirement became the beginning of another chapter—one that would see him trade the goalposts for a different kind of responsibility: helping the next generation find their own path in football.
After moving to the United Kingdom, Ndanda found himself adjusting to a new environment and taking on different jobs to make ends meet.
Yet, despite stepping away from professional football, his passion for the sport never disappeared.
Instead of allowing his playing career to become a memory, he decided to turn his experience into an opportunity for young players.
That decision led to the creation of Victory Football Academy, a youth football centre in Leicester, England, which seeks to give children an opportunity to develop their football skills, build confidence and discover their potential from an early age.
In an exclusive interview with Taarifa, Ndanda explained that the idea grew from his desire to remain connected to football while creating something that could benefit young people.
“My dream was always to pass on the skills and experience I gained on the pitch and use them to help young players,” Ndanda said.
With money earned from different jobs, alongside support from well-wishers who believed in his vision, he gradually turned the idea into reality.
Today, Victory Football Academy has become a growing community project, with 52 fully registered children already taking part in its training programmes.
Building talent from an early age
The academy caters for children aged four to 13, divided into two age groups.
The first group consists of children between four and eight years old, while the second caters for players aged nine to 13.
Training sessions are held three days a week—Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday—giving the young players regular opportunities to improve their technical ability, fitness, confidence and understanding of the game.
For Ndanda, however, the academy is about much more than teaching children how to kick a football.
Having spent years playing at a competitive level, he understands that talent alone is not enough to succeed.
Young players also need discipline, patience, confidence and the right guidance to develop their potential.
“Seeing a child improve because of something you have taught them is priceless,” he said.
The academy therefore aims to give children a structured environment where they can enjoy football while developing the qualities needed both on and off the pitch.
From Rwanda’s biggest clubs to representing the national team and Leicester
Ndanda brings years of experience from a football career that saw him play for some of Rwanda’s best-known clubs, including Rayon Sports, Mukura VS, AS Kigali and Espérance FC. He also represented the Rwanda national football team, gaining international experience as a goalkeeper.
His experience as a goalkeeper gave him a unique perspective on the demands of competitive football and the importance of discipline, concentration, patience and perseverance.
Now, rather than defending a goal, he is helping young players build the foundations they may need to pursue their own football dreams.
The transition has not always been easy.
After retiring from football, Ndanda moved into other jobs in the United Kingdom to make ends meet. But his passion for the sport remained strong.
Instead of allowing his new circumstances to distance him from football, he used them as an opportunity to create something of his own.
Support from the Leicester community
Starting a football academy as a foreigner in the UK also came with challenges, particularly when it came to navigating the legal and administrative requirements involved in establishing the centre.
Ndanda says local parents and members of the community played an important role in helping him understand the process and obtain the necessary documentation.
Their support, he says, has been central to the academy’s growth and its acceptance within the Leicester community.
As the number of registered children continues to grow, Ndanda hopes Victory Football Academy can become more than simply a place where children attend football training.
He wants it to be an environment where young people can build character, friendships, confidence and the determination to pursue their ambitions.
“Football can teach children lessons that go far beyond the pitch,” Ndanda said.
“It teaches them discipline, teamwork, respect and resilience.”
A new chapter, same passion
Ndanda’s journey from Rwanda’s football stadiums to a children’s football pitch in Leicester represents a different kind of sporting career one in which success is no longer measured by clean sheets, trophies or appearances, but by the progress of the young players he mentors.
From standing between the posts for some of Rwanda’s leading clubs and representing his country to standing on the touchline guiding children through their first football lessons, Nizeyimana Alphonse “Ndanda” is building a new legacy.
His playing career may have ended, but his relationship with football is far from over.
Now, his ambition is to help the 52 children already registered at Victory Football Academy, as well as those who will join in the future, dream bigger and develop the skills and character needed to pursue those dreams.
For Ndanda, the next generation is not simply the future of football.
They are the reason he chose not to leave the game behind.
