In Kigali, football took a breath beyond the pitch, a breath dedicated to life itself, The Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA), in partnership with the FIFA Medical Team and the Africa Heart Rhythm Association (AFHRA), launched a groundbreaking two-day 18th-19th September 2025), CPR and AED training program, reminding the football family that the beauty of the game begins with the safety of its people.
Over 60 participants medical staff from Rwanda Premier League clubs, D1 Women league Clubs, and national teams, gathered to learn, practice, and master vital skills in both theory and hands-on sessions.
At the opening, FERWAFA First Vice President Claudine Gasarabwe expressed gratitude and vision: “We thank FIFA for having thought about this pertinent and critical issue of assuring health in football. I urge all of you to keep a thirst for learning, because the world evolves every day, and so must sport, especially football. Only with healthy players can we deliver a truly beautiful game.”
Sudden cardiac arrest remains one of the greatest silent risks in global sport, yet with preparation, lives can be saved. FIFA’s expertise and commitment to medical safety are now empowering Rwanda’s medics, and players to respond when every second counts.
FIFA Medical Director Dr. Andrew Massey called on participants to seize the opportunity: “These workshops are not just lessons, they are lifelines. By gaining the skills to respond to sudden cardiac arrest, you give football and those who love it, a chance to breathe again.”
The program was not only about training, but also about equipping. FERWAFA received a donation of four Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and a CPR Anytime Training Kit, complete with 10 manikins, AED demonstration devices, instructional videos, and access to an AHA learning app tools designed to ensure continuous practice and preparedness.
This initiative stands as more than a workshop; it is a covenant for safety, a reinforcement of FIFA’s pledge to protect the game’s most precious asset, its people.
As the final whistle of the workshop blew, one truth echoed louder than any chant in a stadium, when football safeguards life, the game becomes more than sport it becomes humanity at play.