2014 World Cup qualifier

Playing on Friday
Eritrea vs Rwanda

Nov. 15
Rwanda vs Eritrea
 
THE national soccer team, the Amavubi Stars, jet out to Eritrea this morning for the first leg of the 2014 Fifa World Cup Qualifiers, African Zone, scheduled to be played on Friday in Asmara.

The 46-man contingent departs from Kigali International Airport aboard a chartered RwandAir plane at 6.am. The contingent is comprised of 28 members, while the rest are fans.

Head coach Sredejovic Milutin Micho named a strong squad, yesterday, which included regular figures, who failed to guide the team to 2012 Africa Cup of Nations finals, due in Equatorial Guinea/Gabon respectively.

Micho, who will be handling the team for the first time since being given the task last month, has stated that victory is crucial to the team’s attempt to qualify for the next stage.

The team is expected back in Kigali on Friday night after the game and will directly head to the camp to prepare for the return leg due four days later.

Amavubi need to get a good result in Asmara to stay in better position to qualify for group H of the second round of the qualifiers, which will also have Benin, Mali and Algeria.

The ten group winners will advance to the third and final round. The five winners will then go to Brazil.

After the end of marathon qualifiers, a total of 154 matches will have been played. The FIFA World Cup will begin on June 12, 2014 and end on July 13.

Amavubi squad:

Jean Claude Ndoli, Jean Luc Ndayishimiye, Eric Gasana, Ismail Nshutiyamagara, Kalisa Mao, Albert Ngabo, Olivier Karekezi, Haruna Niyonzima, Hussein Sibomana, Meddie Kagere, Frederic Ndaka, Jean Baptista Mugiraneza, Jean Claude Iranzi, Elias Uzamukunda, Jerome Sina, Emery Bayisenge, Andrew Buteera and Kamana Bokota Labama.

Ends