AMAVUBI Head Coach Vincent Mashami has received a boost from five professional players ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Central African Republic slated for November 18 at Huye Stadium. Seven professional players were given a call-up for the tie. They include while Steve Rubanguka (Patromaasmeshelen, Belgium) and Tresor Shema (Torhout 1992km FC, Belgium) who arrived on Sunday and proceeded to Amavubi residential camp at Hotel Credo Huye while midfielder, Djihad Bizimana (Waasland Beveren, Belgium) jetted in on Sunday night. Jacques Tuyisenge (Gor Mahia, Kenya), Meddie Kagere (SC Simba, Tanzania) arrived on Monday, with Danny Usengimana who plies his trade with Egyptian side Terasan expected on Tuesday. Mashami will start assessing the level of his players this week once everyone expected has arrived in camp. “Regardless of what has happened in previous matches, we must win this game,” he said. “We started this campaign on a poor note but we need to finish on a positive note. While mathematically Amavubi, with one point from four games, can still qualify for next year’s Afcon finals in Cameroon it looks like mission impossible for Mashami’s men. Notable absentees include skipper Haruna Niyonzima (SC Simba, Tanzania), Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza (APR FC), centre-back Belgium-based defender Salomon Nirisarike and goalkeeper Olivier Kwizera of Free State Stars, South Africa. Meanwhile, Central African Republic national football team, Les Fauves, started to arrive in the country on Monday ahead of the qualifier against Rwanda. The 34-man delegation was set to arrive in two batches aboard commercial flights, one on Monday evening and another on Tuesday afternoon. They will be residing at Hill Top Hotel in Remera and hold their training sessions at Kigali Stadium twice every day until Thursday. The team, led by Swiss Coach Raoul Savoy, will visit Kigali Genocide Memorial to pay their respect to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi before heading to Huye District ahead of the game. They will stay at Mater Boni Consilii Hotel. CAR will hold two training sessions at Huye Stadium on Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon ahead of Sunday’s game. After four matches, CAR are third in Group H standings with four points, three ahead of bottom-placed Rwanda. Leaders Guinea have 10 points followed by former African champions Cote d’Ivoire who sit second on the log with seven points. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
