The agreement was formalised on Sunday in Israel, bringing together Hapoel Hadera, Benfica Lisbon and the Tony Rwanda project in a partnership focused on youth development, professional training and creating opportunities for young players.
The signing in Israel also comes at a time when Tony Rwanda and Benfica have been discussing a wider project with the Government of Rwanda.
Sources involved in the talks said Tony Rwanda and Benfica have been in discussions with Rwandan authorities since early last year, following a visit to Portugal by Minister of Sports Nelly Mukazayire, over a broader partnership that would establish a large campus in Rwanda to serve as a regional hub for football talent development.
Some people close to the process say that, as the discussions with Hapoel Hadera have now materialised, Benfica and Tony Rwanda are also holding talks with other African countries over the possibility of establishing the proposed regional hub.
For Rwanda, the Hapoel Hadera and Benfica deal is important because it gives young talents connected to Tony Rwanda a possible pathway into a more competitive football environment outside the country.
In the first phase, a player from Rwanda is expected to join Hapoel Hadera's youth setup, with the hope that more players could follow if the project succeeds.
The partnership comes as Hapoel Hadera enters a new phase under the leadership of Itay Ben-Zeev, the CEO of the Israel Stock Exchange, who recently bought the club. Asi Rahamim will serve as the owner's representative, while continuing his role as sporting director of Tony Rwanda. He will also help strengthen Hapoel Hadera's professional and operational structure.
Ben-Zeev said the idea was to connect different pieces of the same vision.
'For the past three years, Benfica Lisbon has been working together with Tony Rwanda,' he said during the launch. 'When I spoke with Assi Rahamim and Hapoel Hadera, I said: 'Why don't we connect everything?''
He said the project should not only benefit young players in Rwanda, but also create opportunities for children in Israel.
'Now this project will not only affect youth in Rwanda, but also in Israel, in Hadera,' he said.
Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/rwandan-football-talents-set-to-benefit-from-benfica-backed-project/
