BELGIUM-BASED defender Salomon Nirisarike will not make it for the Afcon tie between Rwanda and Libya on Sunday. 

Team Administrator Alfred Ngarambe told Times Sport yesterday that Nirisarike who plays for Royal Antwerp will not honour the match due to travel document related issues. 

"His work permit expired and he is in the process of renewing it. He thought he would come but it became impossible on Tuesday when he was told that the work permit is yet to be released.” 

"There is no way he could leave Belgium without his work permit because it would complicate his return. He will be available for the return leg,” added Ngarambe. 

Without Nirisarike, interim coach Cassa Mbungo is likely to field James Tubane and Emery Bayisenge in the heart of the central defence on Sunday where Rwanda must keep a clean sheet against the North Africans before hosting them in a decisive return leg in Kigali on May 31. 

Other professional players including skipper Haruna Niyonzima (Young Africans), Daddy Birori (AS Vita) and Elias Uzamukunda (AS Cannes) joined the camp on Monday and are in good shape for the encounter. 

Amavubi depart for Tunis on Thursday morning aboard Turkish Airways. They will have a stop-over in Instabul, Turkey before connecting straight to Tunis with their expected arrival scheduled to be on Thursday morning.