She-Amavubi off to Uganda for CECAFA Championships

Group stage fixtures: Sept. 11Zanzibar vs BurundiUganda vs Kenya Sept. 12Tanzania vs Rwanda Sept.13Burundi vs KenyaZanzibar vs Uganda Sept.14Rwanda vs Ethiopia Sept.15Kenya vs ZanzibarUganda vs Burundi Sept. 16Tanzania vs Ethiopia Rwanda women national football team (She-Amavubi) will fly out to Uganda today aboard a RwandAir flight ahead of the 2016 CECAFA Women Championships, which will run from September 11-20 in the Eastern district of Jinja. Talking to Saturday Sport yesterday, head coach Grace Nyinawumuntu said that she is hopeful of getting out of the group that also includes Tanzania and Ethiopia. She-Amavubi begin their campaign against Tanzania’s Twiga Stars. “It has been a long time since we played in a competitive match, but I believe my players will give their best in the CECAFA tournament because the aim is to finish top of our group,” she said. Nyinawumuntu, a former Rwanda international center-back acknowledged that each match will be difficult in its own way. “Every team in the tournament is good but we hope to have a good tournament, and try to go as far as we possibly can,” noted the AS Kigali Women FC coach. She noted that, “We have strength in the team and I am optimistic of staging an impressive performance. Both Tanzania and Ethiopia are very experienced teams and well organized, but we have to concentrate on own strength and try to neutralize our opponents.” The tournament kicks-off on Sunday with Zanzibar, the winners of the winners of first edition in 1986, taking on Burundi in the opening match before hosts Uganda come up against Kenya in the day’s second game in Group A. Rwanda starts her campaign against Tanzania in Group B on Monday before facing Ethiopia two days later. The two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals which will be played on September 18 while the final and third-place play-off are scheduled for September 20. Group A: Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and Zanzibar Group B: Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda editorial@newtimes.co.rw

Sports

She-Amavubi off to Uganda for CECAFA Championships