She-Amavubi start journey to Namibia Afcon finals

RWANDA’S women’s national team makes its debut in the qualifiers for the 9th African Women’s Championship (AWC), which will be held in Namibia later this year.

Sunday, February 16, 2014
Grace Nyinawumuntu, left, is confident her team will overcome Kenya and progress to the first round. File

Qualifying Round

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RWANDA’S women’s national team makes its debut in the qualifiers for the 9th African Women’s Championship (AWC), which will be held in Namibia later this year.

Coach Grace Nyinawumuntu’s side host Kenya this afternoon in the first leg of the preliminary round at Stade de Kigali.

"We are satisfied with our preparations and my team is ready for Kenya. Kenya has a good side but we are equally prepared and we should be able to beat them and qualify for the next round,” Nyinawumuntu told Sunday Sport.

Kenya’s Harambee Starlets head coach Justine Okiring expressed optimism that they will do well, "The match is very important to us since we want to qualify and we are ready to give return results.” 

Sixteen (16) teams are involved in the first hurdle in the race for places for the ninth edition of the continental women’s football tournament. 

Only seven places are up for grabs, to join hosts Namibia for the final tournament in October that also serves as the qualifier for the 2015 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Canada.

The second leg matches will take place on the weekend of February 28 to March 2 with the winners progressing to the second round to join African champions, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and Cameroon, who got bye at the first round.