An Australian football club visiting Rwanda is looking beyond the football pitch, using the game to create connections between young players while exploring a long-term relationship with Rwandan football. Como-Jannali FC, a club founded in 1956, is currently in Rwanda as part of an international tour involving its young female players and members of the wider club delegation. Speaking to HOBE Australia, club President Adam Cranney said Como-Jannali FC had approximately 900 registered players in 2026, with teams ranging from Under-6s through to its Premier League men’s and women’s teams. Gir

An Australian football club visiting Rwanda is looking beyond the football pitch, using the game to create connections between young players while exploring a long-term relationship with Rwandan football. Como-Jannali FC, a club founded in 1956, is currently in Rwanda as part of an international tour involving its young female players and members of the wider club delegation. Speaking to HOBE Australia, club President Adam Cranney said Como-Jannali FC had approximately 900 registered players in 2026, with teams ranging from Under-6s through to its Premier League men’s and women’s teams. Girls and women account for approximately 40 percent of the club’s registered players, reflecting the role of women’s football within the Australian club. Cranney said Rwanda was selected for the tour for several reasons, including existing connections with the Rwandan Football Federation, the country’s development since the trauma of the mid-1990s, and its work in environmental sustainability. “We wanted to see the beautiful country and especially girls football,” he said. For the club, however, the tour is not only about seeing Rwanda. It is also about giving young players an opportunity to experience another football culture and build relationships with girls playing the sport in Rwanda. “Our girls will build connections with other girl players and see the style of play and the environment they play in,” Cranney said. He believes the experience is important because it allows the young players to see another country, experience its culture and gain a better understanding of different challenges faced by communities around the world. That experience has already made an impression on Taina Marques Smithard, a striker for Como-Jannali FC’s W18 A’s.

Como-Jannali FC President Adam Cranney says the Australian club wants to build an ongoing relationship with Rwanda Football and explore a programme that could bring the two sides together every year.

For Taina, one of the biggest highlights of the trip has been visiting the Sherrie Silver Foundation, where she and the other players spent time with children. “My biggest highlight since arriving in Rwanda has been visiting the Sherrie Silver Foundation. Meeting all the kids, hanging out with them, and showing their talents was an amazing experience,” she told HOBE. The football experience has also given Taina an opportunity to see how the game is played in Rwanda. She described the Rwandan players they faced as skilful and energetic, making the match an enjoyable experience. “The one game we played, the opposition were very skilful and energetic, which made the game a lot of fun,” she said. After the match, the players from both sides also had an opportunity to interact away from the pitch. “After the game we got to hangout a little with the Rwandan players and they were all so beautiful and nice,” Taina added. Her observations also highlighted a difference between the two football environments. “There’s definitely more participation and girls playing in Australia compared to Rwanda, but the girls here seem to be more keen in the sport,” she said. For Taina, however, the most important lessons from the trip extend beyond football. She said the experience has reinforced the idea that circumstances do not have to determine what young people can achieve. “The biggest lesson definitely will be that no matter the conditions anything is possible if you try hard enough,” she said, adding that meeting the young girls in Rwanda reminded her “to be grateful and be happy.” Her message to young girls pursuing football is equally direct. “Everything is possible if you put your all. No matter what, if you put the effort in, you will make it far and you will do amazing.” Cranney also hopes the experience will leave the Australian players with a greater appreciation of their lives and opportunities at home, while developing compassion for other communities and an understanding of how they can give back. Beyond football, Kigali has also made an impression on the Australian delegation. “The main thing I have noticed is the generous people and how clean Kigali is,” Cranney said. For Como-Jannali FC, the visit is also the beginning of a possible longer-term partnership rather than simply a one-off trip. Cranney confirmed that the club wants to build an ongoing relationship with Rwanda Football and explore a programme that could be organised every year. “Yes, we want to build an ongoing relationship with Rwanda Football and explore a program we can run every year,” he said. Such a relationship could create regular opportunities for young players from Australia and Rwanda to meet, play, learn from one another and experience different football environments. For the players, the value of the trip may ultimately be measured beyond the results of the matches. For Taina, it is about the people she has met, the young girls she has interacted with and the lessons she will carry back to Australia.

Como-Jannali FC W18 A’s striker Taina Marques Smithard, pictured between two referees, says her Rwanda experience has taught her that, regardless of circumstances, “anything is possible if you try hard enough.”

For Como-Jannali FC, it is an opportunity to turn football into a bridge between communities — connecting young players from Australia and Rwanda through sport, culture and shared experiences.

A little more informed. A little more connected.