Rwanda 0-5 Cote d’voire. Is anything surprising about that result? Yes and no. Yes because it was most likely given the gulf between the two teams, and no because Rwanda has never lost at home by such a big score line.

But looking back, that was beyond just an embarrassment, it was simply a hiding in football language—yet the fans seemed less bothered by the defeat, the heaviest Rwanda at home.

Yesterday’s hammering equaled the team’s second heaviest defeats, which came, first in 1976 against Cameroon, a match played in Gabon, then a similar defeat came away to Tunisia in 1983, and the most recent such rout was registered in 1998 against the Uganda Cranes in Kampala—the latter is still remember vividly by most.

Heaviest defeat

 But 5-0 defeat, whether away or at home isn’t Amavubi’s heaviest loss—the heaviest beating was 6-1 which came at the hands of Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 in Gabon. This one came five days after the mauling [5-0] by Cameroon. 

In recent years, Amavubi has suffered some heavy defeat at home against Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Benin, Egypt but all have been 3-0s and nothing like yesterday’s.

Fans and all Rwandans in general, but especially the coach Sellas Tetteh will take long to forget that, if at there’s anything like forgetting such a hiding.

The fans came in big numbers, expecting to lose but at least not that heavily—the most patriotic expected an upset for their team, and they must have left Amahoro stadium wondering whether they weren’t going through some sort of a dream.

What started as a match between two international senior teams ended looking more like a boys’ team playing against a team of men—it was as if the Elephants were enjoying a training session than a real competitive international game of football.

Had it not been for the presence of Cote d’voire stars like Gervinho (Arsenal), the Toure brothers Yaya and Kolo, who both play for Manchester City as well as Chelsea’s Solomon Kalou, Tetteh and his players should have received a very rude reaction from their own fans.

Like we witnessed after the 3-0 defeat to Benin at the same venue in the second game of the qualifying campaign when fans booed the players off the field, Amavubi team was due a similar or even worse reaction from the frustrated fans.

But thanks to the Premier League and its popularity among football a round the world, fans seemed more concerned with seeing and cheering on Gervinho , Yaya, Didier Zokora, Tiote that supporting and booing their won underperforming team.

The home team started so well and you could sense a turn around in the team that had, prior to yesterday had won one and lost three of four group H matches, but the tide suddenly changed after the Kalou’s first goal.

Until the first goal which came on the 34th minute, you could not chose between the two teams—Amavubi, who were the overwhelming underdogs, got stuck in their more illustrated opponents’ faces, and from where I was seated, I liked it.

I liked it more when defender Hussein Sibomana got in the face of Gervinho without any fear, forcing the Arsenal man to start complaining to the referee, as it asking for protection.

Tetteh’s five-man midfield and the defence worked as well it possibly could, especially before the first goal went in and then suddenly went to absent for the rest of the match.

Lost steam

Kalou’s goal took the steam out of Amavubi players, there as no leadership, no coordination as everyone started playing their own and forgot about what the coach’s strategy, something that Gervinho and co countered on to good effect.

Wilfried Boni’s quick double in the space of two minutes on the stroke of half time was testament of shambolic defending and man marking by the home players.

By the time substitute Didier Yakonan and man of the match Gervinho netted in the second half, you see Tetteh scrunching his head and maybe hoping that he could be swallowed by the ground under him to save him the embarrassment that was unfolding in-front of him.

Even Kolo Toure, who has just finished a 9-month drugs ban but wasn’t named in the match-day team, received more cheers from the home fans than Amavubi players for the entire 90 minutes! It’s such a shame but maybe we should learn a thing or two from the heaviest home defeat ever.

Nonetheless, there were some positives to take from the game, the first being the fact that Tetteh was brave enough to send youngsters like Charles Tibingana, Emery Bayisenga and Andrew Buteera into the lion’s cage and oh boy, they didn’t shy away from the taking on the responsibility.
nku78@yahoo.com