2012 CAN Qualification fixtures

September

Ivory Coast vs Rwanda
October
Rwanda vs Benin
March (2011)
Rwanda vs Burundi
June
Burundi vs Rwanda
September
Rwanda vs Ivory Coast
October
Benin vs Rwanda

AMAVUBI’S assistant coach Eric Nshimiyimana believes that Rwanda’s chances of qualifying for the 2012 Nations Cup depend on how well the team performs in their backyard.

The wasps are drawn in Group 8 alongside African giants Ivory Coast, Benin and their Burundi neighbours and Nshimiyimana reckons that the team has to win its home games to boost their chances.

"We are in a tricky group and there is no room for error. We have to win our home games and then fight for away points as well,” the former Amavubi midfielder said.

"For the 2010 qualifiers, we were undone by the fact that we failed to win our games against Algeria and Zambia.”
Nshimiyimana, who made a name for himself after guiding Amavubi to last year’s Cecafa final, will work closely with Amavubi Stars’ new coach Sellas Tetteh.

According to the schedule, Rwanda will start their campaign away to Ivory Coast before back to back home ties against Benin and Burundi.

The fourth tie will see Amavubi traveling to Bujumbura before entertaining Didier Drogba and company in Kigali. Rwanda will then travel to West Africa (Benin) for their final qualifier.

With Tetteh expected to start work on March 1, his assistant Nshimiyimana told Times Sport that the team will cope with whatever is thrown at them.

At worst, Rwanda has to finish as one of the best three placed countries to qualify for the biannual tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Rwanda’s sole CAN appearance came back in 2004 when the event was hosted in Tunisia.

Ends