2014 AYC Qualifiers

First round, April 5

Rwanda vs South Sudan

Mozambique vs Namibia

Malawi vs Botswana

Swaziland vs Lesotho

Kenya vs Tanzania

Seychelles vs Ethiopia

Djibouti vs Burundi

Sierra Leone vs Guinea

Somalia vs Sudan

Niger vs Congo

THE NATIONAL Under-20 team head coach Richard Tardy has summoned 22 players to start residential training in preparation for the forth coming 2015 Africa Youth Championship qualifier tie against South Sudan. 

The junior wasps will face South Sudan in the qualifying first round, first leg of the road to 2015 Senegal finals on April 5 in Juba. 

The  squad is composed of five Europe-based players namely; Martin Alfred Mugabo and  the  Spain-based Valencia academy trio of midfielder Anderson Neza, right back Yves Rwigema and striker Fiston Nkizingabo. Others are central defender Pacifique Shema, who plays in France and midfielder Alfred Martin Mugabo who plays for Arsenal’s youth club. 

The team will join camp at La Palisse hotel on Monday and they are expected to face Burundi in a build-up match on March 27. 

The Junior Wasps squad has chances of progressing to next year’s African championship considering the experience of the young talented players who have been picked. 

The majority of players summoned have been regular on the starting line-up in their clubs and this is an advantage for Tardy to easily polish them in a bid to win the upcoming qualifiers. 

Players like goalie Olivier Kwizera, Ombelenga Fitina, Celestin Ndayishimiye, Eric Rutanga, Robert Ndatimana, Hussein Cyiza, Yannick Mukunzi and Patrick Sibomana have been starting for their respective clubs in the on-going Turbo King Football League. Rwanda plays away in the first leg on the weekend of April 4-6 before hosting the return leg in Kigali on the weekend of April 25-27. 

If the junior Wasps progress to the second round, the team will find tougher opposition in Gabon in May and should they win, they will face the winner between Sierra Leone/Guinea and Ghana in the final round. 

Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, DR Congo, South Africa and Zambia all moved straight into the second round. 

The semifinalists in Senegal will represent Africa at the 2015 Fifa U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

Under-20 Provisional squad

Goalkeepers: 

Olivier Kwizera [APR], Kassim Ndayisenga [APR] and Omar Rwabugiri [APR]

Defenders: 

Ombelenga Fitina [SC Kiyovu], Celestin Ndayishimiye [SC Kiyovu], Yves Rwigema [Academie Futelite-Spain], Pacifique Shema [Orleans], Eric Rutanga [APR], Jean d’Amour Munyabuhoro [Marines] and Olivier Niyonzima [Isonga].

Midfielders: 

Robert Ndatimana [Rayon Sports], Djihad Bizimana [Rayons Sports], Yannick Mukunzi [APR], Hussein Cyiza [Mukura VS], Alfred Martin Mugabo [Arsenal-England] and Anderson Neza [Academie Futelite-Spain].

Strikers: 

Nova Bayama [APR], Maxime Sekamana [APR], Patrick Sibomana [APR], Bertrand Iradukunda [Isonga], Blaise Itangishaka [SC Kiyovu] and Fiston Nkinzingabo [Academie Futelite-Spain].