24/10/2025
HISTORY THROWBACK
Football saved Eric Murangwa Eugene’s life when he was just 18 years old.
When the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi minority began in April 1994, goalkeeper Eric was playing football at the highest level in the country.
But he came face-to-face with death when Hutu militia showed up at the house he was sharing with a friend.
“We tried to say that were just football players and had nothing to do with politics. They were not listening to us. They went around the house pretending to look for the weapons they said we had. Then they stumbled on some photo albums, which was full of my football club photos.”
The album captured the attention of one of the soldiers as it was full of photos of Eric’s team, Rayon Sports, the biggest and most popular team in Rwanda. The soldier was a fan.
“This guy had come into my house with a machine gun and the determination to kill me. Once he realised I was the guy who he supported, he realised and everything changed. I ceased to become his enemy and became his hero again. That moment has pretty much become a key part on how my life changed. That moment demonstrated the incredible power of sport.”
Over the coming weeks, Eric was forced into hiding. He was even advised by his teammates to stay with a Hutu militia leader.
“He was part of the killings that were taking place around the city. He saved my life, because he believed I would be able to go back and play football and make him happy.
Over the course of 100 days, around 800,000 people were slaughtered by ethnic Hutu extremists, including 85 members of Eric’s extended family.