The football legend who played for major teams in Africa and Europe, spoke to IGIHE on the sidelines of the maiden SportsBiz Africa Forum, a Pan-African platform discussing the Nexus between Sports and Business as a steering tool towards Africa’s Development.

He expressed his heartfelt return to Rwanda after a period of two years. He last visited Kigali in 2022.
“First of all, I want to thank all Rwandans for the warm reception. Since I arrived here, I’ve had no issues; I feel as if I am at home,” he said.

Diouf reiterated his admiration of the strong similarity and relationship between Senegal and Rwanda saying that every time he comes to Rwanda, he notices positive changes due to the country’s robust and dynamic leadership that treats sport as a priority.

Diouf has a vision for African Football

“When you look at the infrastructure here, they are similar to what our president, Macky Sall, has given us. These are friendly nations, and both presidents, President Kagame and Macky Sall, are friends. I know this because Macky Sall is a very close friend of mine,” he said.

“They are both leaders who value the youth. To be honest, I haven’t been away from here for long, but every time I come, I find something new has been achieved. This shows that you have a great leader, a leader you should trust, a leader you should follow, a leader who is recognized across Africa because everyone can see where you are coming from and where you are going. It is important to emphasize this,” he added.

Diouf pointed out that the youth have no excuse not to take advantage of the opportunities that the Rwandan government has provided, particularly with the existing sports infrastructure, which benefits not only Rwandans but also Africa as a whole.

"Everywhere I go, my mission is to bring joy to Africa. They always ask me about the 2002 World Cup match against France and Sweden, which shows I had great moments in football, and everything we do in life is meant to bring happiness to people," said he.

El Hadji Diouf has won many trophies in his football carrier.

Diouf, 43, gained widespread prominence during the 2002 World Cup when he captained the Senegal national team and played for famous clubs like Liverpool in England, among others.

El Hadji Diouf has played for different clubs including Liverpool.

Famous Sports journalist Usher Komugisha Moderated the event

Many Sports personalities are gathered in Kigali for the SportsBizz Africa forum 2024

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The maiden SportsBiz Africa Forum is under way in Kigali