Rwanda winger Rafael York was all smiles when he reunited with his teammates in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, ahead of World Cup 2026 qualifier against Benin after injuries kept him out of international duty for a year.

The Gefle IF star is now looking forward to making his national team return felt as he hopes to contribute his quota to the success in Rwanda;s upcoming qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho on June 6 and June 11 respectively.

"It has been hard for me, the past year I have been out of the group, I have been injured five or six times. So it is nice to be back," York told the press.

"I started playing in preseason and I can say I am fit now because, for the past two months. I have played every game for my club Gefle IF."

Concerning the Amavubi, the Swedish-born player emphasized that the team has had significant chances and it team has improved over the past months.

"This is my first time meeting the new coach. There has been great improvement while I was away, there are new players in now. The team played very well against South Africa and we are here to continue the journey," he added.

Rwanda take on Benin at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Thursday, June 6, before facing Lesotho in Durban, South Africa five days later.

York last played for Rwanda on March 29, 2023 in a 1-1 draw with Benin in Kigali in an AFCON qualifier.