March: 28- 30

1st leg
Rwanda  v  Burundi
Kenya    v  Tanzania
Eritrea  v  Uganda

Rwanda’s opponents in the inaugural Africa Nations Championship, Burundi arrive today by road ahead of their preliminary fixture scheduled for Sunday at Nyamirambo stadium.

According to Ferwafa Chief Executive Officer Jules Kalisa, the ‘Intamba ku Rugamba’ are expected in Kigali in the afternoon. Meanwhile, after one week of residential training, the Amavubi Stars are ready to sting their way to victory against the neighbors in the first leg. The second leg will be played after two weeks in Bujumbura.

Interim head coach, Antoinne Rutsindura told Times Sport yesterday that his boys are ready for the game.

However, the former Zebra Fc coach is concerned by the absence in training of Rayon Sport players who only returned yesterday from Sudan for the Caf Confederation Cup where the blues 3-0 loss to El Merreikh.

Players including Aphrodise Hategikimana, Jean Lomami, Jimmy Gatete, Bonaventure Hategikimana and Aimable Rucogoza are expected to join the national team camp today, just two days before the game. As Rwanda take on Burundi in the newly introduced Africa Nations Championship, which is only meant for home-based players, neighbors Uganda will be away to Eritrea on the same weekend.

In the other preliminary match in the Central zone, Tanzania play away to Kenya with the winner meeting the team that wins between Eritrea and Uganda while Sudan will meet the winner between Burundi and Rwanda.

The first round matches are scheduled for May 2-4 and May 16-18. The winners of each group will qualify for the final tournament, which will be held in Ivory Coast from February 22 to March 8 next year.  The qualifying phase will take place every even year and the final every odd year.
Ends