Next phase of Rwandan partnership focused on talent development

FC Bayern Munich and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) are pleased to announce a new three-year agreement until 2028 that marks a strategic evolution of their partnership.  The new arrangement transitions the relationship away from a commercial sponsorship to a dedicated partnership focusing on football development in Rwanda through the expansion of the FC Bayern Youth Academy in Kigali.

Jan-Christian Dreesen, CEO of FC Bayern Munich, stated: „In constructive talks about our future direction, we agreed that a very special part of our relationship with RDB was the developmental nature of our work in Kigali through the FC Bayern Academy. We are therefore transforming our commercial partnership into a talent programme and expanding the FC Bayern Academy in Kigali together with the RDB as both a football and social initiative. This remains perfectly aligned to our strategic objective of developing playing talent in Africa.”

Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of RDB, said: “The success of the FC Bayern Academy in Kigali is a great example of what strategic sports partnerships can achieve. As we enter a new phase, we are refocusing our resources to accelerate sports development, with emphasis on talent identification, coaching excellence, and sports infrastructure.  This continued partnership with FC Bayern helps ensure that talent development remains anchored in our broader vision to position Rwanda as a global hub for tourism, investment, and high-performance sport.”

Just recently, two promising Rwandan footballers, Ndayishimiye Barthazar and David Okoce, were selected to join the prestigious U19 FC Bayern World Squad for its 2025 edition, marking a significant milestone for Rwanda’s burgeoning sports development and highlighting the success of the FC Bayern Academy in Rwanda.