It’s a do or die for Amavubi

Tuesday Rwanda vs Libya 3:30pm Congo vs Ethiopia Cameroon vs Niger 4:30pm Ghana vs Comoros 5pm Nigeria vs Swaziland Egypt vs Chad 6:30pm Côte d’Ivoire vs Liberia 7pm Tunisia vs Mauritania South Africa vs Angola Burkina Faso vs Benin 8pm Algeria vs Tanzania 8:15pm Cape Verde vs Kenya 9pm Senegal vs Madagascar Mali vs Botswana Amavubi Stars will have to do what they have failed to do in the previous five international matches, which is scoring a goal when they take on Libya in the second leg of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia qualifier on Tuesday at Kigali Regional Stadium. The Mediterranean Knights won the first leg 1-0 last Friday in Sousse, Tunisia, thanks to Faisal Al-Badri 48th minute goal. Head coach Johnny Mckinstry and his men need to win by more than a two-goal margin to advance to the group stages. The last time the two teams met in Kigali, Rwanda, under English coach Stephen Constantine won 3-0 in the second round return leg of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, courtesy of a Dady Birori treble. Northern Irishman, McKinstry, admits it won’t be easy to overturn the deficit but holds on to hope that his men can find their scoring touch in-front of their home fans after witnessed back- to- back defeats against Ghana, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Tunisia U23 teams and Libya five days ago. “If we play against Libya with high intensity and a purpose, then I am confident we will get the right result and move into the group stages of the World Cup. “We are very much looking forward to this game. It will be a competitive game, which comes shortly after the first leg, but we’ll be prepared and the players are aware of the sort of challenge they are faced with,” McKinstry said on Monday. After the return game against Libya, Amavubi will compete in the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup that will be staged in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from November 21 to December 6 before they return home to continue preparations ahead of CHAN 2016 finals tournament. He added, “However, we will be going into the game looking to be aggressive when in possession in an attacking sense in order to get the goals we need.” “We look forward to hopefully playing in front of a full stadium; and I am sure the players work rate, combined with the energy from the supporters will push us forward to achieving victory” McKinstry is likely to stick with experienced goalkeeper Eric ‘Bakame’ Nshimiyimana despite giving away the penalty that won Libya the game in the first leg. Libya arrived in the country on Sunday evening and they have trained at Kigali Regional Stadium on Monday.

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It’s a do or die for Amavubi