Saturday

Rwanda v Mozambique (Amahoro Stadium)Mauritius vs Ghana (Belle Vue)Burundi v SenegalSao Tome v Cape VerdeBotswana v UgandaTanzania v EgyptNamibia v NigerSouth Sudan v MaliSierra Leone v SudanGuinea-Bissau v ZambiaGambia v South AfricaCote d'Ivoire v Gabon

Rwanda today host Mozambique in a make-or-break Group H 2017 AFCON qualifier at the Amahoro National Stadium, Remera.

Amavubi head coach Johnny McKinstry is optimistic his side can defeat Mozambique, knowing that that’s the only way they can continue their quest for qualification to Africa’s biggest football showpiece.

A win against Mambas would keep Amavubi’s qualification chances alive even as they have the last group game away to Ghana in September.

"We need to win our match and see what happens in the other group game between Ghana and Mauritius,” McKinstry told journalists yesterday.

Group H leaders and AFCON 2015 finalists Ghana have 10 points, four ahead of Rwanda, who are in second spot.

McKinstry warned that even if Mozambique are out of the race for Gabon 2017 and lost to Rwanda in the corresponding fixture a year ago, the Southern Africans must not be taken for granted.

Amavubi’s key striker Ernest Sugira, who scored the lone goal in Maputo in June last year, is doubtful for today’s game due to injury and McKinstry will likely replace him with Danny Usengimana.

Mozambique Head Coach Silva Costa Xavier, on the other hand, said his side are ready for Amavubi.

Mozambique are bottom of Group H with one point and have had three coaches since the beginning of the Afcon2017 qualifiers last year; nonetheless Xavier hopes to turn around the team’s fortunes.

"We are confident we can win the game,” said the former Liverpool player.

Ghana will be playing away to Mauritius and a win will book them a ticket in next year’s AFCON edition.

Amavubi are in second place with six points, and level on points with Mauritius but Rwanda has a better goal difference.

Meanwhile, goals from Naim Sliti, Hamdi Harbaoui and Taha Khenissi gave Tunisia a 3-0 win over Djibouti in their Group A game on Friday at the Stade El Hadj Gouled in Djibouti.

The win took Henry Kasprerczak’s men to the top of the group with 10 points and will now wait for the outcome of the match between Liberia (who have nine points) and Togo on Sunday to know if they have already done enough for a spot in Gabon.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw