Amavubi players in upbeat mood

NAIROBI - Amavubi Stars players have vowed to give every once of their energy in a bid to win this years Orange Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup. Rwanda take on archrivals Uganda in tomorrows final to be player at Nyayo national stadium in Nairobi. The players gave their vows during a closed door brief meeting with sports minister Joseph Habineza at the teams Central Park hotel last evening. The minister arrived in Nairobi yesterday with a special message from President Paul Kagame. A source that attended the meeting told Times Sport that part of the package from the President was cash money of $500 per player for reaching the final. This money is not part of the players bonuses of $1500 for every match won but just a token of appreciation. The minister assured the team that if they win Sundays final, a very special token of appreciation awaits them back at home. He told them that if they win the tournament, their country will reward them in the best way possible, a source said. Rwanda is on a five match winning streak at the tournament and is the only team with a 100 percent record, and the players are confident of making it six out of six when Uganda Cranes are the next opponents come Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, interim coach Eric Nshimiyimanas team will have to negotiate the Cranes test without the services of dependable defender Didier Kapet after an appeal to have his red card revoked was turned down by Cecafa. The APR defender was sent off in Thursdays semifinal win over Tanzanias Kilimanjaro Stars for two bookable offences. Kenyan referee Thomas Onyango showed Kapet a second yellow card on advice from his assistant Hussein Bugembe of Uganda, who spotted him trying to enter the field without the referees permission after receiving treatment. In a related development, hundreds of Amavubi fans from Kigali are expected to arrive in Nairobi today in time for Sundays game. The president of Amavubi Stars supporters club Richard Gahonzire confirmed that some fans will travel by road while other by air. He, however did not give the exact of number he expects. Ends

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Amavubi players in upbeat mood