The local football governing body, Ferwafa has set ambitious New Year targets that include qualifying the national Amavubi team for 2010 Nations Cup finals and improving on the national team’s Fifa ranking. One month after rising to number 99 in the Fifa rankings, which is Rwanda’s highest ranking in three years; Ferwafa Chief Executive Officer, Jules Kalisa said the team will be given adequate preparations ahead of the World Cup qualifiers to achieve the goals. “The team will have adequate preparations so as to enable it reach the 2010 finals in Angola. Our major goal therefore, is to ensure that it wins all its group fixtures,” Kalisa said. Kalisa noted that qualifying for the 2010 African Nations Cup finals would automatically enable the national team to improve its ranking and probably come among the top 50 in the world. 2009 CAN youth tournament The U-20 national team will have two training missions abroad as one way of ensuring that Rwanda assembles a team capable of not only doing well but also winning the Youth Championship, which will be hosted in Kigali next year. Kalisa said the U-20 team will soon be summoned to start training as early as possible. The U-20 national team used Germany as its training base last year through the Germany Football Federation cooperation with Ferwafa. Sponsors Ferwafa has also stated that whether there is a sponsor or not, the national football leagues must be played. The leagues include; first, second and third divisions for both junior and senior players. The first division kicked off last month while the second and third divisions are expected to start in February and March respectively. According to Kalisa, having many leagues with the juniors inclusive would go along way in helping breed as many local players as possible by 2010. “Whether we get a sponsor now or not, all the senior and junior leagues in the country will go ahead as planned. “We shall not fear to take a step ahead just because there are no sponsors. The federation will run its programs with or without sponsors,” he stressed. However, Kalisa disclosed that they (Ferwafa) are still in talks with MTN Rwanda over a possible deal to sponsor the national football league. Ends
