2011 AYC Qualifiers

Saturday

Congo Brazzaville vs Rwanda (1st leg)

Sunday

Tanzania vs Ivory Coast
Egypt      vs Uganda

THE national Under-20 men’s team, Junior Wasps left for Congo Brazzaville yesterday ahead of the first of two 2011 African Youth Championship qualifying fixtures this Saturday at Point Noir.

The team which left aboard Kenya Airways arrives in Brazzaville this morning.

Before jetting out, Amavubi head coach Sellas Tetteh, who is also handling the Junior Wasps said that he was banking on the side to deliver.

"We have prepared well for the game. It is not going to be easy but we are ready for the challenge,” the Ghanaian said.

"I have not seen Congo Brazzaville play but I expect them to make the most of their home advantage,” Tetteh, who steered Ghana’s U-20 side to the 2009 Fifa U-20 World Cup title, said.

Tetteh also downplayed his side’s low key strikers Kipson Atuheire and Ismail Habumugisha insisting that games are won collectively.

"The team is not only composed of strikers; sometimes, strikers will create for midfielders and defenders so it is always a collective effort.”

The winner of the two-legged contest will go on to play the winner between Cameroon and Central African Republic in September.

Elsewhere, Tanzania’s coach Rodrigo Stockler is confident his boys will overcome Ivory Coast this Sunday.
The Brazilian tactician expressed high hopes over his team’s chances to qualify for the continental youth finals.

"Definitely the match against Ivory Coast is going to be a tough one. But considering the quality of players in our squad, I think we have got a really big chance of qualifying for the finals.

"We’ll play cautiously. We’ll be more defensive but offensive whenever the opportunity arises, the idea is to get good results away. I believe if we can hold them in Abidjan, we’ll have a good chance of going through in the return leg at home,” said Stockler.

Junior Wasps: Emery Mvuyekure, Protogene Rukundo, Bonfils Christian Twahirwa, Anwar Kibaya, Eric Habimana, Herman Ngoma, Faustin Usengimana, JMV Rukundo, Jamal Mwiseneza, Abdul Karim Gashugi, Jean Claude Iranzi, Jacques Tuyisenge, Abuba Sibomana, Tumaine Ntamuhanga, Amani Uwiringiyimana, Kipson Atuheire, Bienfait Kabanda and Ismail Habumugisha.

Ends