Rwanda’s long wait to qualify again for Africa’s most elite football competition continued as the country finished last in Group E of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. It is now seventeen long years since Amavubi last booked a place in an elite football competition at senior level which was in the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Tunisia. The over one and half decades has seen the Amavubi sinking to their lowest level and the just concluded first phase of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in which they drew one and lost a whooping five games scoring just two goals tells it all. Times Sport takes a look at five things that we have learnt from the country’s 2022 World Cup qualifying fiasco and how things can be improved in the shortest possible time in order to make the Amavubi competitive again. 5. Playing high profile friendly games It is very important for FERWAFA to organise high profile friendly games for the nation. Countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and others are big names on the continent which the Amavubi can play against. These games boost the morale and the confidence of the players. Once they play against big names a couple of times, it helps the team improve and also allows the coaching staff to gauge the team’s readiness against the best on the continent. 4. No competition in the team Some of the players feel the national team is a done deal for them. There is no competition and it does not help team building. They believe that whether they play well or not they will be called upon. Players like skipper Haruna Niyonzima should start from the bench and other players should be given an opportunity to start. FERWAFA can also get a separate scouting team to monitor Rwandan players everywhere so that good call ups are made. Once a player is not called, and an uncapped one is given the chance, he will sit up and improve upon his game. 3. Vincent Mashami’s future should be considered The story has been the same since the former APR gaffer became head coach of the national team in 2018. The Amavubi have not seen any improvement. It is evidently clear that Mashami has failed. His greatest achievement has been the quarter finals berth he secured with the local Amavubi team in the CHAN this year which is a CAF second tier tournament. Mashami has been given lots of opportunities and he has failed to take the team to greater heights. Going forward, FERWAFA can try other options available. The likes of Thierry Hitimana of Simba are equally good coaches who can take up the mantle. 2. There should be a development and target plan There is an adage which goes like, “If you fail to plan, you fail”. FERWAFA must lay down a plan, maybe a three-year development plan with a set target of qualifying for the AFCON or World Cup. All hands should be on deck with proper planning, grooming of talents and others. Belgium did the same thing and now they are reaping the fruits with the likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Dries Mertens. 1. Team needs massive overhauling The core of the players who are always being called have passed their prime and it is better for a new generation of players to carry the mantle. Players like skipper Haruna Niyonzima, Meddie Kagere, Jacques Tuyisenge, Ernest Sugira and others should just be added to the team based on experience and they should not be the fulcrum of which the team revolves around. Young players such as Lague Byiringiro, Rafael York, Samuel Gueulette, should be ones the team should be built around currently as they are the players for the next generation.
