Rwandan defender Imanishimwe Emmanuel ‘Mangwende’ says his opening matches with Chennaiyin FC have shown him that success in India’s top football league requires hard work, intensity and full commitment.
The 31-year-old joined the Indian Super League (ISL) club ahead of the 2026/27 season after spells in Morocco and Cyprus.
Speaking to Sportstar, Imanishimwe said the standard of competition in India was demanding, with teams requiring players to maintain their effort throughout matches.
“In these last two games, I have seen that in India you have to be at 100 per cent. You have to work hard and run. For me, it is a tough league. All the teams are strong, so you have to be ready,” he said.
His move to India followed a career that included playing for Rayon Sports in Rwanda, AS FAR Rabat in Morocco and AEL Limassol in Cyprus.
While at AS FAR, he played alongside Moroccan footballers Noah Sadaoui and Alaaeddine Ajaraie, who later moved to India. Following their careers helped him learn more about the league before his own transfer.
Imanishimwe also consulted Rwanda head coach Stephen Constantine, who previously coached India’s national team. Constantine advised him to work hard and maintain high standards.
“He told me that it is a good league, maybe not at the same level as Cyprus, but it is a good league,” Imanishimwe said.
Constantine has praised the defender’s versatility, noting that he can play both centre-back and left-back and contribute through his tackling and reading of the game.
Imanishimwe joined AS FAR in 2021 and helped the Moroccan club win the 2022/23 league title before moving to Cyprus. He is the first Rwandan to play in the ISL and one of 14 players recruited by Chennaiyin FC ahead of the new campaign.
He said the foreign signings understood their responsibility to strengthen the squad under coach Clifford Miranda.
“We are here to support them, and we are here to be one team,” he said.
