THREE Asian countries have expressed their desire to play build-up matches with Rwanda’s Amavubi Stars following the team’s impressive showing in the just concluded Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Nairobi, Kenya.

The local football federation, Ferwafa confirmed the development this week after the national team’s arrival from Kenya where they lost 2-0 to Uganda Cranes in the final.

Ferwafa Chief Executive Officer Jules Kalisa said that Yemen, Malaysia and South Korea are interested in playing against Amavubi next month.

According to Kalisa, Yemen want Amavubi friendly match on January 3, Malaysia on January 14 and South Korea on January 28. All three want the games to be played in their countries.

Being a two-time straight AFC Asian Cup champion, South Korea has participated in seven World Cup final tournaments and became the first and only Asian team to reach the semi-finals when it co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Japan.

It also qualified for its eighth World Cup final tournament which will be in South Africa next year. It is the only Asian team to have qualified for the World Cup for seven times consecutively and currently holds the best FIFA World Cup record in Asia.

For Malaysia, they have never participated in any World Cup qualifiers and they have only participated in Asian organised football tournaments.

Yemen has never appeared in the World Cup or the Asian Cup. The only appearance by any Yemen team in the Asian Cup was that by South Yemen in 1976.

Kalisa said that they will look into all three proposals before deciding on the appropriate dates without interfering the running of the local league as well as other scheduled African competitions.

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