Quartet boost for Amavubi

Build-up match May 13 Rwanda vs. Botswana Afcon 2015 First leg qualifier May 18 Libya vs. Rwanda Second leg May 30 Rwanda vs. Libya FOUR foreign based professional players have confirmed availability for the Amavubi 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya on May 18 in Tunis, Tunisia. Striker Dady Birori who plies his trade with DR Congo champions AS Vita, Elias Uzamukunda (AS Cannes), skipper Haruna Niyonzima (Young Africans-Tanzania) and defender Salomon Nirisarike (Royal Antwerp-Belgium) are expected to join Amavubi camp by Monday. According to Alfred Ngarambe, the team administrator, Birori will embark on his journey to Kigali after playing the final league match of the season between AS Vita and TP Mazembe on Sunday. Birori has been DR Congo’s top scorer for the past three seasons and has scored three goals for Amavubi in 12 matches. His latest call up was in March last year when Rwanda hosted Mali in Kigali under Serbian coach Milutin Sredojovic Micho. Rwanda lost 2-1 to shatter their 2014 World Cup hopes. Reports had indicated that the 27-year-old will not be available for the two-legged preliminary round qualifiers of the continental championship due to AS Vita’s involvement in Caf Champions League. However, Ngarambe told Times Sport yesterday that Birori has already confirmed his availability. “He will come after the final league match of the season on Sunday, against TP Mazembe. His club has also exempted him from this month’s Africa Champions League fixtures in order to allow him feature for Amavubi in the Afcon qualifiers,” Ngarambe said. Biroli is expected in Kigali on Monday while Nirisarike, Haruna and Uzamukunda will come a day earlier, on Sunday, ahead of Tuesday’s friendly match against Botswana Amavubi play away to Libya in Tunis on May 18, the same day when AS Vita take on Zamalek of Egypt in the Caf Champions League. Cassa Mbungo’s troops will host Libya in the second leg in Kigali on May 30 with the winner of the two-legged encounter facing either Namibia or the Republic of Congo in the next round. After the Zamalek date, the Congolese giants will play host to Al Hilal of Sudan between June 6 and 8. Birori’s experience as witnessed in African club football is vital in the team’s striking force. Meanwhile, home-based players started preparations in high gear at Amahoro stadium on Wednesday. Striker Andre Lomami and defender Ismail Nshutiyamagara who didn’t turn up for the first day drills have already joined their teammates at La Palisse hotel. Should Rwanda go through in both rounds, they will book a place in Group A, where it would face the likes of defending champions Nigeria, South Africa and Sudan.

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Quartet boost for Amavubi