The national Football team, Amavubi (Wasps), have not disappointed in the ongoing African Nations Championships (CHAN) taking place in the country. They are the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals – with a game to spare – after keeping their 100 per cent record intact. CHAN has brought out the best in Rwandan hospitality; the streets are abuzz with many languages and many of the visitors are really enjoying the best the country has to offer. But the most important aspect of CHAN has been showing fellow Africans the real Rwanda.Our stadiums have been full even when the national team was not on the pitch. Opposing fans adopt their team of the day and shout themselves hoarse as if it was Amavubi on the field. This has amazed many foreign teams who were surprised to find a “home away from home”. At the end of the day, CHAN, and its seamless organization, the right infrastructure, but above all, the country’s friendly population, will do more to market the country as a destination of choice for those who want to unwind in a secure environment than any professional PR firm could have done. With their ticket to progress to the next round firmly in their hands, Amavubi should now set the target in their sights with the same determination and never-say-die attitude they have so far exhibited.
