The Egyptian under 20 national football team, known as The Pharaohs, visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial to learn about the history of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and the importance of fighting Genocide ideology.The team was led by the Ambassador to Egypt in Rwanda, Dr. Namira Negm, and the team’s head coach, Eng. Ahmed Megahed.
The pharaohs began their visit by laying a wreath on one of the memorial’s mass graves, which are the final resting place for over 250’000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The group then went on a guided tour around the memorial’s exhibition to learn more about the causes and consequences of the Genocide, as well as Rwanda’s post-Genocide peace building initiatives. At the end of the tour, the head coach left a message of hope in the visitors’ guestbook.
“Thanks a lot for how you received us in the whole period we have been here in Rwanda. Thank you also to our Ambassador of Egypt in Rwanda, I can sorry for this tragedy we believe that it will never happened again” Eng. Ahmed Megahed, Pharaohs’ Head Coach.
The Pharaohs came to Rwanda to participate in a friendly match against Rwanda’s under 20 national football team, Amavubi, which they won 1-0. The match is part of a series of qualification matches for the under 20’s African Cup of Nations – (CAN – Coupe D’Afrique des Nation) that will take place in 2017.