After several years of enjoying a untouchable status at club and national level, national football team’s captain Jimmy Gatete’s fortunes seem to be changing for the worse.

After being sidelined by a nagging hip injury for the major part of last two seasons and the subsequential release by APR, Rwanda’s all-time goal scorer has been dropped from the national team that is preparing to take part in the GTV Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup due in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from December 8-22.

Ferwafa’s technical team named the 26-man team yesterday at the federation’s head quarters with Gatete and Mike Yossam dropped.

Amavubi team manager Jean Pierre Bavuzingango told Times Sport yesterday that the 26-man team will head into residential training on Sunday after playing the weekend’s national football league games.

According to Ferwafa, some of the players were dropped due to poor form.

The dropped players include: Jimmy Gatete(Rayon Sport), Mike Yossam (Rayon Sport), Fredrick Ndaka (Rayon Sport), Jean Lomami(Rayon Sport), Philip Gasana(Rayon Sport),Canisius Nshimiyimana (Mukura), Olivier Nkurikiye (Mukura), Mwemere Girinshuti(APR), Jean Bosco Uwacu (APR), Jean Claude Ndoli (APR) Andre Lomami(Atraco), Theoneste Muhayimana(Atraco) and Egide Rutayisire(AS Kigali).

They have been replaced by Atraco striker Abedi Mulenda (APR), Eric Serugaba, Elias Uzamukunda (APR), Ben Mandela (Police) and Jean Shyaka (Atraco).

Meanwhile, APR midfielder Hegman Ngoma, Roger Tuyisenge, Donatien Tuyisenge, Rodriquez Murengezi and Mukura’s Arafat Serugendo have earned their first call-ups to the Amavubi.

APR’s custodian Ramadan Nkuzingoma has been retained despite a poor showing in the just concluded Centenary Cup .

However, no professional player has been summoned to beef up the Amavubi squad for the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup due next month.

Rwanda has been drawn in group B of the East and Central Africa Senior Challenge Cup to be held from December 8-22 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Other countries in group B are: Uganda, Eritrea and Djibouti. Group A will have hosts Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and Somalia while group C will comprise of Sudan, Ethiopia and Zanzibar.

Rwanda finished third last year under Michael Nees in Ethiopia but they would be hoping to go a step or two better under new coach Josip Kuze.

The Amavubi squad:
Goal Keepers: Eric Ndayiragije (Atraco), Ben Mandela (Police) and Ramadhan Nkuzingoma (APR).

Defenders: Ismail Nshutinamagara (Atraco), Bonaventure Hategikimana (Rayon), Aloua Gaseruka (APR), Aimable Rucogoza (Rayon), Arafat Serugendo(Mukura), Mbuyu Twite (APR), Donatien Tuyisenge(Atraco), Olivier Uwingabire(Rayon), Elias Ntaganda(APR).

Midfielders: Patrick Mafisango (Atraco), Manfred Kizito (Atraco), Jean Shyaka (Atraco), Jean Batista Mugiraneza (APR), Haruna Niyonzima (APR), Kalisa Kase (Rayon), Hegman Ngoma (APR) and Rodriquez Murengezi (Mukura).

Strikers: Labama Bokota (Rayon), Abedi Mulenda (Atraco), Daniel Karekezi (Mukura), Eric Serugaba (APR), Roger Tuyisenge (Rayon) and Elias Uzamukunda (APR).

ENDS