This milestone was achieved during a high-profile match played on Sunday, March 22, 2026, where Al Hilal Omdurmanfrom Sudan was eliminated by RS Berkane after a 1-0 defeat in the second leg of the quarter-finals. The first leg had ended in a 1-1 draw, giving RS Berkane the advantage on aggregate.
During this match, history was written as Mugenzi Faustin and Claude Hitimana took charge of stadium announcements—commonly referred to as match announcers—marking the first time Rwandans have held such a role at this advanced stage of Africa’s premier club competition.
Their achievement is considered remarkable and unlikely to be matched in the near future, given the difficulty for Rwandan clubs to reach the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League, as well as the rarity of Rwandans being selected for such roles in international club matches.
Speaking to the media, Mugenzi Faustin, who was born in Huye District in southern Rwanda, expressed deep joy and emotion, recalling a personal dream he had made years ago.
He said: “I am extremely happy as someone who grew up in a rural area. When this stadium was being built, I posted on my social media and said, ‘God, help me shake this stadium one day.’ And now it has happened. I thank Ngabo Roben and Namenye Patrick for introducing me to this profession.”
On his part, Claude Hitimana, who is also the Managing Director of Radio 10 and one of its leading presenters, expressed gratitude to those who trusted them with such a big responsibility. He emphasized that handling matches of this level is far from easy due to the high standards and strict regulations involved.
He said: “I gained new knowledge from this experience. It is very different from local matches. In the CAF Champions League quarter-finals, we first meet with the General Coordinator about three hours before the match.
We go through everything we are going to do and are given specific rules to follow. I thank those who trusted us, and we will share the knowledge we gained with others.”
Match announcers (MCs) play a crucial role during games. Their responsibilities include introducing the competing teams and the stakes of the match, announcing starting line-ups and substitutions, and calling out goal scorers.
They also update fans on match progress, added time, and substitutions, while keeping the crowd engaged and energized throughout the game. In many cases, they deliver announcements in multiple languages, depending on the teams involved and the nature of the competition.
Despite this historic achievement in the CAF Champions League, another Rwandan journalist, Sammy Imanishimwe, still holds a notable record as the first Rwandan to serve as a match announcer in the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup. This occurred on September 16, 2018, when Rayon Sports drew 0-0 with Enyimba FC at Stade de Kigali in Nyamirambo.
This new milestone by Claude Hit and Mugenzi Faustin marks a proud moment for Rwanda’s sports media industry and highlights the growing presence of Rwandans on the continental football stage.
Mugenzi Faustin [Faustinho]
Hitimana Jean Claude [Claude Hit]