Rwandan football fans have shared varied views on the national team’s chances in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) which starts today.

While some predict the Wasps (Amavubi) will reach the finals, others think otherwise, according to a mini survey conducted by The New Times in Kigali, Huye and Rubavu.

The New Times talked to at least 30 fans, and only 12 predicted that the national team would reach the final.Some fans did not seem to give Amavubi a chance to cruise through the group stage.

Amavubi is in Group A, together with the continent’s football giants, Ivory Coast, Gabon and Morocco. In the opening match today, the Wasps play against Ivory Coast.

"The most difficult stage for Amavubi is the group stage, if we manage to go through, then I am optimistic that the team will go as far as semi finals,” Jean Claude Muhawenimana, the chairperson of the national football team Amavubi Stars fans club, told The New Times.

"The team has been doing well recently, despite many people not trusting them. We should expect more surprises from the national team. Who knows? We could even reach the final,” Muhawenimana added.

Fiston Hirwa, the football team captain of Gatsata mechanics in Kigali, said that, "if Amavubi make it to quarterfinals, it would be enough pride.”

Hirwa believes in Jacques Tuyisenge who has been scoring goals recently, and performed well in the buildup games [scoring against DRC]. Hopefully he will score some goals that will push them to as far as the quarterfinals, he said.

One of the famous supporters of Amavubi and Rayon Sports, Bosco Ngezahimana aka Rwarutabura, said he can’t wait for kickoff time as his team seeks to win the first match.

"With the biggest fan base, we are going to show them how strong we are and ready to support our team. We will be at the stadium two hours before kickoff and I am confident we shall beat them,” Rwarutabura noted.

The fans were generally excited about hosting the biennial tournament.

Rwanda has met six times with Ivory Coast and managed to draw two times and lost four, including the humiliation of 5-0 at Amahoro Stadium back in 2011.

CHAN 2016 is the third Confederation of African Football (CAF)-sanctioned tournament to be hosted in Rwanda after the U-20 Africa Youth Championship in 2009 and the U-17 version in 2011.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw