Early in July an opinion by Hamza Nkuutu run in these pages arguing that Rwanda can host AFCON if the upcoming CHAN competition is successful. Well, I am optimistic as well and I hope he’s right. But realistically, it is a far cry – much like building castles in the sky. Especially now that we managed to show the world the despicable state of our biggest and best stadium during one of our most publicized matches against Ghana. That said, everything happens step by step – like the late Whitney Houston sung – brick by brick, stone by stone. Rwanda is a country with visible progress no doubt. Even in the general sports arena, our federations are not doing as badly as some claim. I am a chess player, and I can draw examples from there. Despite several misunderstandings among members and meager resources that our federation runs on, there is adored progress. Programs are running to teach chess to school children, tournaments are held regularly – where mind you – the youth are now the biggest number of participants. We don’t even have to go to the cycling sphere. This is a sport that is bringing back all the lost hope back into the hearts of Rwandan sports enthusiasts. When it comes to football however, much is left to desire. Rwanda has this fantastic opportunity to host the fourth edition of the Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) from January 16, 2016 and to February 7. But with such opportunities also comes great responsibilities. How the young Amavubi side performs is definitely something we are eager to find out – but it’s besides the point. There is something larger than pitch performance: the tournament’s organization. Scrolling back to 2006, South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup and they made the event more spectacular than any European country has ever done. Of course South Africa as hosts knew they had no chance whatsoever of winning the cup, but they also knew they would win adoration and respect if they organized the tournament according to super standards. And they did just that. That is exactly what Rwanda needs to do. It is even a better situation considering that we have a chance at winning this tournament and be wonderful hosts at the same time Therefore, FERWAFA and the Ministry of Sports which put us to shame when we hosted Ghana have a splendid chance to redeem themselves come CHAN 2016. And probably from then on, we can start talking about hosting larger tournaments like AFCON, but until then, we need to stay focused and request the organizers to show visible progress, a step at a time. Arsenal hopes not to land into Man United punch For the first time in history, Arsene Wengers’ job is on the line. This is historic! He’s made too many personal mistakes that arsenal fans are left to only wonder whether their manager is actually a football manager or a financial controller. When he played David Ospina instead of Petr Cech in goal against Olympiacos in the champions League last Tuesday, it oozed a sense of extreme arrogance coming from a man who no longer values competition as long as the stadium is packed and gate collections are made. To make it worse, his next opponent is his complete opposite. Manchester United s a team that values nothing less than a win. This is a team whose fans think that they support the biggest in the world, despite having less Champions League trophies than Liverpool. Wenger is guilty of generating maximum revenue through exploiting loyal fans, while offering minimal satisfaction. If Arsene Wenger is beaten by Manchester United this weekend, no amounts of explanation will be enough. The Wenger-out campaign will have to start soon enough or the club will fall into the limbo of mediocrity where beating Tottenham Hotspurs is the biggest joy that fans experience.
