Today

First leg

Egypt  v  Rwanda

Friday

Second leg

Egypt   v   Rwanda

THE national U-20 side take on their Egyptian counterparts this evening in the first of two proposed build-up game ahead of the forthcoming African Youth Championships in Kigali.

According to Boniface Nsabimana, the head of the Rwandan delegation, the junior wasps jetted into Cairo last evening from Tunisia where they have been camping since last month and played four friendly matches against top club.

After today’s game, the two teams, both preparing for the continental championships, will meet again for the ‘return leg’ tie on Friday before the Rwandan team flies home the next day.

Only Jean Marie Vianney Rukundo will miss today’s clash against the Pharaohs with a torn leg muscle.

The APR midfielder is part of the 26-man team that will eventually be trimmed down to 18 ahead of the Africa Youth Championships which kicks off on January 18.

Obradovic Tomislav’s team has enjoyed their one-month training camp in Tunis with deserved victories over Tunisian Premier League clubs.

The junior wasps defeated La Marsa 1-0 courtesy of Jean Claude Iranzi lone strike, defeated Le Bizerte by 2-1 through Yussuf Ndayishimiye and Ernest Kwizera.

Tomislav’s team continued their good form by beating Club Africain 4-1 in the last game. Elias Uzamukunda (brace), Haruna Niyonzima and Yussuf Ndayishimiye were the scorers.

Niyonzima, Jean Baptista Mugiraneza, Uzamukunda and Jean Luc Ndayishimiye are the only players who featured in last year’s U-23 qualifiers for the Beijing Olympic Games.

Claude Iranzi (APR), Arafat Serugendo (APR), Aimable Rucogoza (Rayon Sport) and Bonfils Twahirwa (AS Kigali) are some of the new faces on the team.

Rwanda faces Mali, Cameroon and Ghana in Group A while Group B is made up of Nigeria, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Egypt.

As hosts, Rwanda will open the competition against Mali at Amahoro stadium on January 18, 2009 before another cracker sees Ghana taking on arch rivals Cameroon.

Rwanda needs to reach the semi-finals to be assured of a place at the World Youth Championships finals to be hosted by Egypt.

Tomislav and his young guns have their hands full if they are to advance in the two week long tournament.

The four semi-finalists from the tournament will automatically qualify for the 2009 Under-20 World Cup to be played in Egypt.

If hosts Egypt reach the last four in Rwanda then the 5th placed team will automatically qualify for the Under-20 World Cup.

Ends