Olivier Karekezi

Fils Olivier Karekezi (Kinyarwanda pronunciation: [olivje kaɾeˌcezi] ⓘ; born 25 May 1983) is a Rwandan footballer who currently plays for Swedish side Råå IF in Division 3 Södra Götaland.[1] He is also a former captain of the Rwanda national team.

Olivier Karekezi
Karekezi playing for Östers IF on 23 July 2011.
Personal information
Full name Fils Olivier Karekezi
Date of birth (1983-05-25) 25 May 1983
Place of birth Kigali, Rwanda
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Råå IF
Number 15
Youth career
1989–2001 APR
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2004 APR (14)
2005–2007 Helsingborgs IF 60 (18)
2008–2009 Hamarkameratene 32 (6)
2010–2011 Östers IF 49 (6)
2011–2012 APR (14)
2012–2013 CA Bizertin 7 (1)
2014 Trelleborgs FF 15 (4)
2015–2017 Råå IF
2018– Råå IF
International career
2000–2013 Rwanda 55 (24)
Managerial career
2017–2018 Rayon Sports
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Olivier Karekezi grew up in Kigali, where he attended Rugunga primary school. He used to spend most of his time playing football at Ste Famille primary school "SAHARA" sandy playground, where he kick-started his football journey with fellow teens among others "GANGI" Hategekimana Bonaventure. They both joined APR at around the same period of time in 2002, and continued to enjoy the game together at a higher level; that was then well known as 1ère Division.

He signed for Helsingborgs IF in 2005, leaving his native club APR FC, and scored five goals in 18 matches during the 2005 season. In 2006, he scored 11 goals for Helsingborg and thereby became their top scorer in Allsvenskan. In January 2008 he transferred to Hamarkameratene. In March 2010 he joined Swedish second division club Östers IF on a two-year deal.[2]

Karekezi took pay cut to play for his former club APR. The attacking midfielder, who has been getting US$52,000 (Rwf30.9m) a year at Swedish second division side Östers IF, has already agreed a two- year-deal with the Primus league champions in the region of US$24, 000 (Rwf14m) a year.[3]

Towards the end of September 2012, he joined Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 club CA Bizertin in a two-year deal.[4] In July 2013, he announced that he would retire from football when his contract with Bizertin expires in March 2015.[5] However, he joined Swedish third-tier outfit Trelleborgs FF on 22 January 2014.[6]

International career

Karekezi made his international debut for Rwanda in 2000, and represented his country at the 2004 African Cup of Nations.

After 13 years with the national team, he announced his retirement from international football in late August 2013.[7]

Career statistics

International

International goals

Scores and results list Rwanda's goal tally first.[8]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.8 December 2001Stade Amahoro, Kigali Somalia3–03–02001 CECAFA Cup
2.13 October 2002Accra Sports Stadium, Accra Ghana1–02–42004 African Cup of Nations qualification
3.3 December 2002Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium, Arusha Somalia1–01–02002 CECAFA Cup
4.12 October 2003Stade Amahoro, Kigali Namibia2–03–02006 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.2 December 2003Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum Zanzibar1–02–22003 CECAFA Cup
6.2–1
7.14 August 2004Kampala, Uganda Uganda ?–?2–1Friendly
8.11 December 2004Addis Ababa Stadium, Addis Ababa Zanzibar2–14–22004 CECAFA Cup
9.19 December 2004Addis Ababa Stadium, Addis Ababa Tanzania ?–?5–12004 CECAFA Cup
10.8 December 2005Stade Amahoro, Kigali Uganda1–01–02005 CECAFA Cup
11.8 October 2006Antoinette Tubman Stadium, Monrovia Liberia1–22–32008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
12.25 March 2007Estadio Internacional, Malabo Equatorial Guinea1–11–32008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
13.8 September 2007Stade Amahoro, Kigali Liberia4–04–02008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
14.13 December 2007Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar es Salaam Djibouti1–09–02007 CECAFA Cup
15.9–0
16.31 May 2008Stade Régional Nyamirambo, Kigali Mauritania1–03–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
17.8 June 2008Addis Ababa Stadium, Addis Ababa Ethiopia2–12–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
18.14 June 2008Stade Régional Nyamirambo, Kigali Morocco3–13–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
19.15 November 2011Stade Amahoro, Kigali Eritrea1–03–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
20.26 November 2011Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar es Salaam Tanzania1–01–02011 CECAFA Cup
21.2 December 2011Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar es Salaam Djibouti3–25–22011 CECAFA Cup
22.4–2
23.5–2
24.8 December 2011Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar es Salaam Sudan2–12–12011 CECAFA Cup

References
  1. Olivier Karekezi tilbage i Råå IF, skanesport.se, 26 March 2018
  2. "Karekezi klar för Öster". herr.osterfotboll.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010.
  3. Ostine Arinaitwe (19 August 2011). "Karekezi Takes Huge Pay Cut to Play for APR". The New Times. Rwanda. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  4. Bonnie Mugabe (22 September 2012). "Karekezi signs for Tunisia's Bizerte FC". The New Times. Rwanda. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  5. Bonnie Mugabe (21 July 2013). "Karekezi set to retire". The New Times. Rwanda. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  6. "Olivier Karekezi klar för TFF!" [Olivier Karekezi is ready for TFF!] (in Swedish). Trelleborgs FF. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  7. Bonnie Mugabe (27 August 2013). "Karekezi retires". The New Times. Rwanda. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  8. Földesi, László. "Olivier Karekezi – Goals in International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 27 November 2011.


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