Rejuvenated striker Jimmy Gatete reckons that the Amavubi Stars can beat Zambia’s Chipolopolo next month and put themselves in a good position to qualify for the 2010 Africa Nations Cup in Angola. Speaking to Times Sport on Thursday, the Rayon Sport captain said that their main target is finishing first in Group C and qualify for both the World and Africa Cup but if that mission fails, they will be delighted finishing in the first three which will guarantee them a ticket to Angola. “We are targeting the first position in Group C so that we qualify for the World Cup but and if that fails then we will settle for second or even third place,” Gatete said. The former APR forward has only played twice under Branko Tucak’s reign as Amavubi Stars coach. He played in the Croat’s first game in charge against Sudan in the CHAN qualifiers, a competition for only home based players and also the most recent 2010 World/Africa Cup qualifier against Algeria. Asked to comment about how he feels to be back in the national team reckoning after about a year in the cold, he said, “I can not comment about that because I don’t want to cause problems between myself and other people.” Gatete, 29 is regarded as probably Rwanda’s most prolific striker to ever play for the national team in the last decade. His ‘wonder’ goals against Uganda and Ghana helped Rwanda to her maiden Africa Nations Cup finals in 2004. But a long term thigh injury in 2005 led to loss of form, which consequently resulted in being left on the bench at APR for much of 2005 and 2006 before he was flogged off to Rayon in 2007. Further minor nagging injuries made his first days at the Blues complicated, something that didn’t do his international career any favors. There were even calls for the striker to call time on his international career because Tucak seemed as though he was deliberately overlooking in favor of younger strikers like Elias Uzamukunda, Pappy Gasana, and Labama Bokota among others. But his performance on his return against Algeria in March was proof that he was still the man no matter what was said of him and as always, the now born again Christian wants his feet to do the talking for him. Ends
