Mauritius clash: History beckons for Amavubi captain

FridayGhana 3-1 Mozambique SaturdayMauritius vs Rwanda 1pmSeychelles vs Lesotho 2:30pmBurundi vs Namibia 3pmCongo DR vs Angola 3:30pmCameroon vs South Africa 4:30pmCape Verde vs Morocco 7pmBurkina Faso vs Uganda 8pmSenegal vs Niger 9pm Sunday Mozambique vs Ghana 4pmKenya vs Guinea-Bissau Botswana vs ComorosBenin vs South Sudan 5pmCongo vs Zambia 5:30pm Amavubi captain Haruna Niyonzima says Rwanda will be looking for nothing less than a win when they face Mauritius in their third tie of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Saturday afternoon at the Anjalay Stadium in Belle-Vue. Rwanda currently sit second in Group H with three points from an impressive 1-0 away win against Mozambique last June before losing to Ghana 1-0 in Kigali in September. Ghana lead the table with nine points from a 7-1 victory over Mauritius in Accra before bagging three in Kigali, and on Friday, they beat Mozambique 3-1. Niyonzima, who features for Tanzanian giants Young Africans (Yanga SC), will not only lead the team to what they have already ear-marked as a must-win clash, but have the honour to play on the same team with his young brother Muhajri Hakizimana. If coach Johnny McKinstry gives the Mukura Victory Sports youngster a chance at some stage in the game today, it will be the second time that Niyonzima plays alongside his sibling, after first achieving the feat with elder brother Abdul Sibomana between 2007 and 2008. The 26-year-old play-maker, Niyonzima, has also played alongside his nephew Jihad Bizimana, who failed to make the cut to the final 18-man squad for today’s qualifier. Looking ahead of the game, Niyonzima has expressed confidence about Amavubi’s chances to get a positive result before hosting the same team next week on Tuesday in Kigali. He said: “It will not be an easy match because they will be looking for a second win to take second position, and we’re exactly in similar position, which makes the game even more meaningful for both teams.” “For us, we want to make our dream (to qualify for the finals tournament) come true, starting with a good result against Mauritius on Saturday,” the Young Africans midfielder said. The former Rayon Sports and APR player noted that, “We have a competitive team and the coach has made sure we’re ready to win the game. It will be tough but we are ready to give our best.” The last time Rwanda qualified for the AFCON was in 2004 in Tunisia after being drawn against Ghana and Uganda in the qualifiers. Amavubi came out on top after two crucial wins against Cranes (1-0) in Kampala and against the Black Stars in Kigali by the same score, thanks to Jimmy Gatete’s goals on both occasions, although Amavubi lost 4-2 in Accra and drew goalless against the Cranes at Amahoro National Stadium. Rwanda finished top of Group 13 with seven points, two ahead of Uganda in second place while Ghana was last with four points. Amavubi boost McKinstry has boosted his staff by bringing on board a performance analyst, Alex McCarthy. McCarthy, who works with English Premier League side Bournemouth in the same role, previously worked with Amavubi during CHAN 2016 hosted in Rwanda. His duties are focused on each player’s performance during Amavubi training sessions and matches as well as the technical analysis of opposition teams. The 25-year-old also records Amavubi training sessions and breaks them down into information to help McKinstry make decisions like team selection and formations based on this information. Meanwhile, on Friday, Ghana dispatched Mozambique 3-1 in Accra and edged closer to qualifying for the finals tournament in Gabon. Both sides will meet against on Sunday in Maputo. editorial@newtimes.co.rw