ADELAIDE United youngster and former Gawler Eagle Pacifique Niyongabire is enjoying his first full season in the senior side, and has been taking in as much information as possible from his more experienced teammates.
Niyongabire, 20, split his time in the 2019/20 season between the Reds Youth side and the seniors, coming on late in the campaign to net one goal in three substitute appearances.
This season he has come off the bench five times for a total of 102 minutes, tallying one assist, and while he is thankful to be playing, he reflected on the different challenges that come from being used as a substitute.
“Coming into the year the goal was to just play as many games as possible,” he said.
“When you come off of the bench, it’s quite shocking how high the intensity is by the time you get out there.
“When you start, the game starts slow and you build into it, but as a sub you need to come in and adjust really quickly.
“Whether I have two minutes, or 30 minutes, my job is to go out there and make an impact.”
Adjusting to the big leagues has been more than just the physical side of the game, with Niyongabire saying most of the improvement he is making is between the ears.
“For me, the biggest thing I’ve been working on is my confidence,” he said.
“I feel like I’m not scared anymore to dribble the ball and take people on.
“I think my strongest attribute is how I deal with one-on-one situations, or in tight spaces, but I need to believe in my abilities to take advantage when I get those chances.”
The mental side of the game is something Niyongabire is receiving plenty of advice from, with some experienced campaigners on hand for support.
“Coming from the juniors, there’s a lot of boys who want to be professionals, but not that many willing to do what it takes,” he said.
“I’m learning from guys like Tomi Juric and Stefan Mauk who have been playing at a high level for a while now, so just getting to be around them and seeing how they handle themselves is great.
“There’s a lot of mental preparation that goes into it, but also simple things like coming in early to stretch and look after your body.”
Niyongabire also reflected on his time with the Gawler Eagles, who first gave him a chance to play first-team football.
“I’m still close with a lot of people from Gawler, and I still go out and watch games when I can,” he said.
“I had a very good experience with the Eagles – we won the league in the under-18s when I was there, and then I was promoted to the first team before I landed with Adelaide.”
Niyongabire came off of the bench in Friday’s match against Central Coast in the 60th minute with the scores tied one-all, helping his side to a 3-2 win.