The Amavubi U23 face a daunting task in Bamako on Saturday, October 29, when they face the Junior Eagles of Mali in their return leg of the second preliminary qualification round for the 2023 U23 AFCON. Rwanda recorded a 1-1 draw with Mali in the first leg in Huye and will now need a win or any high scoring draw away from home so as to make it to the U23 AFCON in Morocco in 2023. Times Sport takes a look at six things Rwanda can do to get desired results in Bamako. -Start Moise Nyarugabo and Prince Rudasingwa in attack The duo are great strikers who can compliment the efforts of each other and make the Amavubi U23 attack sharp if paired. Whereas Rudasingwa has pace, is agile and can get behind defenders, Nyarugabo is very strong and has good footwork to take on opposing players and create space. The two have not started any of the qualifying games together and it is prudent that they are paired to make the attack sharper. -Anicet Ishimwe must be a team player A very skilful player but he adds little to the success of the team. Ishimwe must be told to release the balls early. He likes to hold on to the ball for too long and in the end, either he falls down or he loses it. He must be instructed to release the balls early to the attackers as he tends to drag the team back. Ishimwe needs to be aware of his team mates’ position and make quicker decisions. -Play Anicet Ishimwe in a more advanced role Besides his need to make quicker passes, the APR youngster has no business in central midfield. He must move to an advanced role behind the strikers. With his footwork, if he gets the ball and meanders his way into the penalty box or is able to give the last pass, the goals will flow. Assigning Ishimwe a central midfield role, as it happened in the first leg, will be suicidal as he is not cut for that. -Deploy Francis Maes as a defensive midfielder The best the Amavubi U23 technical team must do is to get an extra man in midfield to serve as a “destroyer” against the Malians. Maes who plays in Cyprus and is a natural central defender can sit infront of the back four as a defensive midfielder. He will able to put the brakes on the Malian attackers and also cover for skipper Clement Niyigena if the latter decides to move forward. -Put pressure on the Malian goalkeeper From the first leg, it was clear that Malian goalkeeper Lassina Diarra who plies his trade with FC Chateauroux in France, is very jittery. He conceded a very cheap goal as he failed to control a simple back pass which passed under the sole of his foot for Rwanda’s equalizer. If the Amavubi U23 can bombard his area with shots and also constantly be on him, he can gift them another goal. -Be wary of the Malians’ physical energy Malians are known for their great physique, and they play full of energy. Amavubi players should go all out and be at their best if they want to come from Bamako with a good result. The Amavubi U23 back four should avoid zonal marking and do man marking which can prevent the Malians from taking control of the game.
