Rwandan international Haruna Niyonzima has officially announced his retirement from professional football, bringing to a close a career spanning more than 20 years with the national team, Amavubi.
In an interview with The New Times, the 36-year-old confirmed he will no longer play professional football and revealed that a testimonial match is being organized in collaboration with FERWAFA to formally mark his departure.
“I have stopped playing professional football. In the coming days, we are preparing a match to officially announce it. We have discussed it with FERWAFA and we are confident it will happen. It will be a special moment for fans and players who were not aware that I had retired,” he said.
Haruna began his club career at Etincelles FC in Rubavu before moving to Rayon Sports in 2007, where he rose to national prominence. He later featured for APR FC and AS Kigali. Abroad, he played in Tanzania for Yanga SC and Simba SC, and also had a stint with Al Ta’awon in Libya.
He earned his first call-up to Rwanda’s senior national team in 2006 after progressing through youth ranks. On his debut, he scored twice against Equatorial Guinea, a performance that cemented his place in the squad.
Over his international career, Haruna amassed more than 110 caps, becoming one of Rwanda’s most capped players. He captained Amavubi in 2015 when Rwanda achieved its highest-ever FIFA ranking of 64th.
In 2019, Haruna obtained a CAF C coaching license. Last month, he was selected among Rwandan coaches to further his training in Spain through a partnership program with Atlético Madrid, signaling his transition into coaching.