Gasogi Utd Vs Kiyovu Victory Sport in a past game
On 9th position, debut season in Premier League,they call it a small team, but Gasogi United, the only club fully owned by an individual businessman has started claiming suppremacy in front of elder brothers.
Several football clubs in Rwanda born in the 1960s and beyond, including mighty clubs are still barely relying on ticket sells which helps them to only survive.
COVID-19 which saw sport activities halted tested the clubs more and really left them economically vulnerable with some laying off players, others cutting off salaries by as much as 65%.
The owner of Gasogi Utd Kakoza Nkurunziza Charles, a journalist who also owns a popular television in Rwanda kept the players’ contracts intact and is conducting club’s business as usual.
Kakoza a.k.a KNC said on Monday that he is tired of renting stadium and is planning to build his own, a-20,000 seater stadium in the next two years.
“Let me say it; during the 2021/2022 season, you won’t see Gasogi Utd renting a pitch for trainings. Some clubs made a similar promise ( to build a stadium) and even started fundrasing but their plan never materialised. Do you know what we think as for us?” Kakoza said.
“Did we ever present some artistic impressions to the public? We are not dreaming. It is a project we are to execute soon, quietly but surely.”
Last year, Rayon Sports football club, one of most popular clubs in Rwanda presented a short video of their proposed artistic impression of a modern stadium which they said, would be built as a matter of priority.
Nkurunziza Charles Kakoza a.k,a KNC
Gasogi structure, said Kakoza, will include 16,000 seats and 4000 places where spectators can stand.
“These are mere dreams,” is the most common feedback that the public gave to Kakoza whom they said he does not know what he is talking about because a stadium is extremely expensive.
However, for many clubs, apparently, none is allowed to have such a dream.
The stadium, if built, would be the second biggest in Rwanda after Amahoro National Stadium, the 30,000 sitting capacity which is expected to undergo renovation as soon as COVID-19 slows down. The facelift is expected to increase its capacity to 45,000 seats.
Kakoza, in a previous interview at KT Radio, our sister media channel also said he would list on Rwandan bourse.
In Rwanda 8 businesses are listed. No football club or any other sports association or entertainment business is listed.
