Revamped Huye Stadium inaugurated

Huye Stadium, one of the four venues that will host the upcoming 4th African Nations Championship (CHAN) edition, was officially unveiled on Saturday, after six years of renovation. The second most prestigious football event on the continent will run from January 16 through February 7 in four districts namely; Gasabo, Nyarugenge, Huye and Rubavu. Huye stadium will host Group B that includes Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Cameroon and Angola. The 10,000-seat arena, decorated in national colors, becomes the second biggest sports ground in the country behind the 25,000-seat Amahoro National Stadium which will host Group A matches, including the tournament’s opening game between hosts Rwanda and Ivory Coast on Saturday. The inauguration ceremony, that started with a parade of thousands of Huye residents, was attended by senior officials, including South Province governor Alphonse Munyentwari, FERWAFA president Vincent Nzamwita, Senator Jean De Dieu Mucyo, and Maj Gen Alex Kagame. Rwanda becomes the fourth African nation to host the biannual tournament after Ivory Coast (2009), Sudan (2011) and South Africa (2014). Ngama shines in first match in Mukura shirt As part of the stadium’s inauguration, there was a friendly match between two Southern Province archrivals Mukura Victory Sports and Amagaju FC, a game that ended 2-0 in favour of Godfroid Okoko’s Mukura. New signing Emmanuel Ngama, who inked a two-year contract last week and was wildly cheered on by Mukura fans every time he touched the ball, scored the second goal after Christophe Ndayishimiye’s opener. Burundi international midfielder Ngama joins Mukura from Kenyan Premier League side Tusker FC whom he had signed for in June last year. The newly launched Huye Stadium will also serve as the home ground for Mukura when the Azam Rwanda Premier League returns after CHAN tournament in February. Mukura had been without a permanent home since the renovation activities of the stadium started in 2010 — they have been playing their home matches at Muhanga stadium and holding their training sessions at Kamena stadium. editorial@newtimes.co.rw