Rwanda will play as guests to the Mediterranean Knights of Libya at the June 11 Stadium in Tripoli in the opening match day of the 2025 Africa Caup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. Both teams have had a bright start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers as they both have 7 points in their respective Groups. They will be aiming to make the same impact as the qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON campaign begins. The crunch game, due on Wednesday, September 4, promises to be keenly contested as the pair hope for the perfect start to the campaign. Times Sport presents to you five key battles to look out for in the crunch encounter. Ahmed Krawa'a vs Thierry Manzi It will be a fierce battle between Libyan striker Ahmed Krawa'a and Rwandan centre back Thierry Manzi. They know each other very well as they play for rival clubs Al Ahli Tripoli and Al Ittihad Tripoli respectively. Krawa'a, 35, is among the most experienced players in the Libyan set up, having made his debut on October 5, 2009, in which he scored against Kuwait. Manzi must be well composed as Krawa'a uses his size to great effects. Despite his age, he is very fast on the ball and he can either score or assist. He has six goals to his name in 13 games for the Libyan national team. Djihad Bizimana vs Faisal Al Badri The battle in the middle of the pitch will be a delight to watch as two captains come face-to-face. While Bizimana is a box-to-box midfielder, 34-year-old Badri is a playmaker who plays as an orthodox number 10. He dictates the pace of the game and one moment of brilliance from him can decide the game. Rwanda skipper Bizimana is, on the other hand, a tireless midfielder who is regarded as the engine of the team. He can defend, he can attack and set the tempo of the game. Badri is not new to Rwanda, he netted the only goal of the game against Amavubi at the Stade Olympique, in Sousse, Tunisia on November 13, 2015, when Libya beat Amavubi 1-0 in a 2018 World Cup qualifier. Daniel Elfadli vs Kevin Muhire Elfadli, 27, was born in the German City of Leonberg. He currently plays for Hamburg SV in the German Bundesliga 2. Standing at 1.91 metres, Elfadli is an aggressive holding midfielder who destroys opposition formation and starts the attack of his own team. He will be coming up against Kevin Muhire who is the playmaker of the Rwandan side. The Rayon Sports skipper knows what to do with the ball and one pass from him can cause havoc. It will be interesting to see how Elfadli and Muhire fare against each other. ALSO READ: AFCON 2025 dates announced Fadel Salama vs Claude Niyomugabo Salama, a talented 22-year-old right winger, is one of the emerging forces in the Libyan national team. The youngster, who plays for Al Ahli Benghazi, has so far played games for the country, scoring twice, and providing 1 assist. Salama was instrumental as Libya beat Mauritius 2-1 on June 6 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, as he netted a penalty in the 20th minute. He, however, faces a herculean task as he anticipates a battle against in-form left-back Claude Niyomugabo who is playing arguably the best football in his career. The APR skipper is expected to start in place of Emmanuel Imanishimwe who didn't make the trip to Tripoli. Niyomugabo was key for his club winning two man-of-the-match awards in the 2024 CECAFA Kagame Cup. He also provided the assist for the first goal as APR beat Azam 2-0 in the CAF Champions League second leg game. Niyomugabo will be hoping his impeccable form transcends to the national team when he wears the Amavubi jersey against Libya on Wednesday, September 4. Ombrorenga Fitina vs Omar Khouja Omborenga is a key element in Amavubi back four and, on his day, he is unplayable. He showed his pedigree in Amavubi's last international game as he provided the assist during Rwanda's 1-0 win over Lesotho in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Khouja is, on the other hand, one of the priceless assets in the Libyan team. The star forward has scored three goals so far for his national team in 2024, once each against Indonesia, Kuwait and Burkina Faso which were all friendly games. The Asswehly SC star is naturally a midfielder who is comfortable playing through the middle but, because of his goal scoring prowess, he has often been deployed as a left winger. He has scored seven goals in 28 games for Libya since making his debut on September 7, 2021, during 2022 World Cup qualifier against Gabon. It will be a great battle between Fitina and Khouja. One must pin down the other on the flanks before operating.
