Rwanda of 1884 assigned the territory to Germany as part of German East Africa, marking the beginning of the colonial era. The explorer Gustav Adolf von Götzen was the first European to significantly explore the country in 1894; he crossed from the south-east to Lake Kivu and met the king. The Germans did not significantly alter the social structure of the country, but exerted influence by supporting the king and the existing hierarchy and delegating power to local chiefs. Belgian forces took control of Rwanda and Burundi in 1916, during World War I, beginning a period of more direct colonial rule.
Sport in Rwanda the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA). Its national team made its African Cup of Nations debut in the 2004 edition of the tournament. A Rwanda B team won the CECAFA Cup in 1999, when the country hosted the tournament. The CECAFA Club Cup has been known as the Kagame Interclub Cup since 2002, when Rwandan President Kagame started to sponsor the competition. The national team is yet to qualify for the World Cup. Rwanda's highest domestic football competition is the Rwanda National Football League. Cricket has been described as