Watching ISL stars, playing under Constantine: Emmanuel Imanishimwe's India connect before Chennaiyin FC move

Imanishimwe -- the first-ever Rwandan player to feature in the ISL -- doesn't find much difference between the level of Indian football and the Moroccan and Cypriot leagues where he has plied his trade before.

Emmanuel Imanishimwe has bought into Clifford Miranda's Chennaiyin FC project early on, and isn't deterred by a lacklustre start to the 2026-27 Indian Super League season.

Just two games old in India's men's top-flight competition, Imanishimwe -- the first-ever Rwandan player to feature in the ISL -- doesn't find much difference between the level of Indian football and the leagues where he has plied his trade before.

And he has played in some high-level leagues before coming to India's east coast.

Hailing from the capital city of Kigali, where he co-founded the Bright Football Academy, Imanishimwe began his professional career in 2014 with Rayon Sports back in Rwanda. Then in 2021, he signed with the joint second-most successful club in Morocco's top-flight, AS FAR Rabat. There, he was part of the squad which won the league in the 2022-23 season.

After spending three years in Morocco, Imanishimwe moved to Cyprus to play for AEL Limassol, where he spent a couple of seasons.

According to Opta's Power Rankings, the Indian Super League sits at 199th place out of 454 men's football leagues around the world. Meanwhile, the Botola Pro in Morocco is 42nd, and the Cypriot Division 1 is 34th. However, the 31-year-old defender has been made to work hard in the ISL, he says.

"For me, I think it's not a big difference. There is quality in the league. You have to run, you have to work, we have to do everything. So it's the same. It's just names, Morocco and Cyprus, but on the pitch, there's no difference with the football," he told Sportstar ahead of Chennaiyin's league-stage fixture at Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

"In these last two games, I saw that you have to be at your 100 per cent in India. You have to work hard, run. For me, it's a tough league. All the teams are strong, so you have to be ready for that," he, who fit Miranda's search for a left-footed centre-back, added.

But even before he signed on the dotted line and pledged allegiance to Chennaiyin, Imanishimwe had a fairly good idea about India and its football.

The Moroccan friends and an English tactician

The Rwandan international, who's played 44 times for the national team, played with multiple Moroccan players during his time in Rabat. Two names pop out while talking about Moroccan footballers and Indian football: Noah Sadaoui and Alaaeddine Ajaraie.

Imanishimwe has been teammates with both of them through the course of separate seasons. Sadaoui left Rabat after the 2021-22 season to join FC Goa, while Ajaraie left after the 2023-24 season to join NorthEast United.

"Even before my agent came with the prospect of coming to India, I was watching players like Sadaoui and Ajaraie because we had played together in Morocco. So when my agent asked whether it would be possible for me to go to India, it wasn't a difficult decision for me," he recalled.

But these two players aren't the only Indian connections he had before coming here.

In March of this year, former India coach Stephen Constantine, who oversaw one of the Blue Tigers' most successful eras, was appointed to lead the Rwanda men's national team for the second time. The first time was between 2014 and 2015, when Imanishimwe hadn't yet debuted in national team colours. This time around, he has already played under the Englishman, who led the Indian team to its second highest-ever FIFA ranking of 96.

"I remember after signing, he was asking me about the club. He knew Chennaiyin because he's worked in the country before. He said that it's a good league, maybe not as high as back in Cyprus, but good. As the national team head coach, he said I have to come here and work hard. He gave me some advice on how to work and be at the top all the time," Imanishimwe revealed.

Even Constantine had nothing but good words for his player.

"He's an experienced player who can play as a central defender and/or left wing-back. He's tough in the tackle and reads the game well. He is also a lovely guy and always looking to try and help others around him. A solid player," the 64-year-old told this publication.

"We didn't discuss much about the league. I said it was a decent level. He knows I was there for eight years," he added.

The Rwanda international is one of the 14 new players who were brought in for the new league season. And for him, the message under Miranda is clear.

"It's a pleasure to be here. As the coach said, they are here to support us and we are here to be one team. I think this is the beginning for everyone as a team. And for us international players, I know we have to bring something to the team."