The Minister of Sports and Culture, Julienne Uwacu, has urged Amavubi Stars to focus on reaching the final of Africa Nations Championships slated for January 16 to February 7.

Uwacu said the buildup games against big teams in Africa as part of preparations give Amavubi the needed experience to reach CHAN finals.

"We want to reach the final of the Africa Nations Championships and win the title. We don’t want to be eliminated early in the competition,” Uwacu said.

Uwacu added that hosting CHAN means a lot for Rwanda in terms of marketing the image of the country, and business prospects.

Meanwhile, FERWAFA president, Vincent Nzamwita also echoed the same message. He urged the national team to be focused ahead of the opening game against Cote d’Ivoire before meeting Gabon and Morocco.

"You have played against top teams in past months as part of preparations for this tournament. You have the experience to shine,” Nzamwita told the players.

"What you need now is to be focused and determined. The country will be behind you.  This is the time to make every Rwandan proud, and we all believe that you have the ability to go far and even be crowned champions,” he added.