The day has finally arrived! Today all roads lead to Amahoro National Stadium for the opening ceremony of the African Nations Championships (CHAN). This is the first time the East African region is hosting one of Africa’s most prestigious football events. By selecting Rwanda as the host, it was a vote of confidence by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in the country’s oganisational pedigree. Rwanda has previously organised continental games, among them the CAF under-17 as well as under-20 competitions which were run successfully. This gave CAF the reason not to hesitate to awarding of the CHAN 2016 to Rwanda. The onus now is for all Rwandans to come on board and exhibit their traditional hospitality to visitors. Participants of the tournament should leave Rwanda with unforgettable memories of the country and its people. But, most importantly, Rwandans of all walks of life should rally behind their team. They should not be intimidated by Africa’s football giants but embrace our philosophy that nothing is impossible, no hurdle is insurmountable. So today, let our streets vibrate, let our team colours stand out for all to see, and our stadiums full of exuberance as Amavubi take on Africa’s best with no tinge of complex. May the best team win, but on a wider perspective, every country participating is already a winner because the ticket to CHAN 2016 did not come on a silver platter, they fought hard for it.
