Sept. 3

Group HGhana vs RwandaMozambique vs Mauritius

THE national team interim head coach Jimmy Mulisa was part of the Amavubi team that upset the Black Stars of Ghana 1-0 at Amahoro National Stadium in 2003 in the qualifiers of the AfCON 2004.

Although Amavubi had been beaten 4-2 in the last leg in Accra, that famous win in Kigali, courtesy of Jimmy Gatete, helped Rwanda to qualify for the finals tournament for the first time.

Now, Mulisa will return to Accra this week with Amavubi, but this time as coach for the AfCON Gabon 2017 Group H final day qualifier on September 3. Will he repeat the 2003 feat against Ghana, this time as a coach?"Our main objective is to win the match against Ghana because we need to improve our position in FIFA rankings but also, the match is important for the pride of the country,” said the former Amavubi striker.

He added that, "In the first week of training, we have been focusing more on improving the players’ fitness levels.We have players who are really working hard, are determined and devoted to ensure that this match goes well. The mood and spirit in camp is positive.”

Mulisa and his troops will be aiming to put up a decent performance against the Black Stars in their backyard. Ghana beat Rwanda 1-0 in the corresponding fixture last September in Kigali, thanks to a late Mubarak Wakaso free kick.

"The arrival of foreign-based players has also boosted the team and we believe we can stage a good performance on Saturday,” Mulisa noted.

Home-based players started intensive preparations at Kigali Regional Stadium last Wednesday under the tutelage of Mulisa alongside assistant coach Vincent Mashami and goalkeeping coach Thomas Higiro.

On Sunday, the team shifted the drills to Amahoro National Stadium and they will have one more training session a day before departure to Accra on Thursday.

The professional players in the squad include; the Tanzania-based duo of Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza (Azam FC) and team captain Haruna Niyonzima (Yanga), Kenya’s Gor Mahia striker Jacques Tuyisenge as well as Ernest Sugira (AS Vita Club, DRC).

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