As Police hold national side to 2-all draw

2012 CAN qualifiers

September 4

Ivory Coast vs Rwanda
Benin vs Burundi

Warm – up match
Amavubi 2-2 Police
 
YESTERDAY’s friendly match between Amavubi and Primus league side Police FC proved that Sellas Tetteh and his backroom staff still have work to do ahead of next Saturday’s 2012 Nations Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast.

Kamikaze defending from the wasps gifted Police a 2-all draw at Ferwafa grounds.

Center back Ismail Nshutinamagara opened the bad omen when he put the ball in his own net. Left back Donatien Tuyisenge then compounded Amavubi’s woes with a clumsy challenge on Clementine Mukunzi inside the penalty box.

Hamis Kitagenda made no mistake as he sent Amavubi goalkeeper Jean Luc Ndayishimiye a.k.a Bakame the wrong way.

Tetteh’s consolation was that the team managed to hit the back of the net after a long barren run.
Bienfait Kabanda scored the opener with a powerful header while Albert Nyumbayire equalised five minutes from time after pouncing on a cross from APR’s Jean Claude Iranzi.
The Ghanaian also insists that there is no need to panic ahead of the Elephants’ tie.

"I’m sure you have all heard about the story of David and Goliath. Of course we (Rwanda) are underdogs but strange things happen in football,” he said.

"What is important is to go into the game well prepared, focused and confident. It’s important also to get as much support from our fans as we can.”

"The first game of any qualifying campaign is always tricky but we are set to play our hearts out,” he continued.
Ivory Coast will more or less field the same team that pulled off a 1-0 win in a recent friendly against 2006 Fifa World Cup champions Italy.

The only changes made by head coach François Zahoui are Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and first choice goalkeeper Copa Barry who make their way back into the squad.

The Group H qualifier will be played in Ivory Coast’s capital, Yamoussoukro on September 4. Benin and Burundi, who complete the group, will also in action in Porto-Novo.
The 2012 event will be jointly hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. For Rwanda to qualify, Amavubi need to top the group or at least finish as one of the best three qualifiers. Rwanda’s maiden appearance came back in 2004 under Rotamir Djukovic.
 
Ivory Coast’s provisional squad:

Goalkeepers: Copa Barry (Lokeren, Belgium), Daniel Yeboah (ASEC Abidjan).

Defenders: Kolo Toure (Man. City, England), Arthur Boka (Stuttgart, Germany), Tien Siaka (Valenciennes, France), Didier Zokora (Sevilla, Spain), Souleymane Bamba (Hibernian, Scotland), Steve Gohouri (Wigan, England), Guy Demel (Hamburg, Germany), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal, England).

Midfielders: Yaya Toure (Man. City, England), Cheick Tioti (FC Twente, Netherlands), Kafoumba Coulibaly (Nice, France), Emerse Fae (Nice, France), Kouamatien Kone (CFR Cluj, Romania), Gilles Yapi Yapo (FC Basel, Switzerland), N’Dri Romaric (Sevilla, Spain).

Forwards: Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England), Gervinho (Lille, France), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea, England), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow, Russia).

Ends