Amavubi start 2012 CAN preps

September 4 Ivory Coast vs RwandaBenin vs Burundi The national senior football team, the Amavubi Stars is set to join residential camp today ahead of their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ivory Coast in Abidjan on the weekend of September 3-5. The local football body, Ferwafa confirmed yesterday that the team is regrouping today at La Palisse Hotel. Ferwafa Chief Executive Officer Jules Kalisa, “They are starting camp on Wednesday (today). The coach wants to take them for four days of physical fitness because they have been on holiday.” “They will train for four days before returning to their respective clubs to participate in the Primus pre-season football tournament which starts on August 13 (Friday),” said Kalisa. Head coach Sellas Tetteh said over the weekend, “Focus is now being shifted to the senior team after the shock exit from the African Youth Championship qualifying campaign, despite beat visiting Congo Brazzaville 2-1 on Sunday.” Congo, winners of the competition in 2007, when they hosted it, progressed to the last qualifying round 3-2 on goals aggregate, having won the first leg 2-1 at their place. “The team will be a mixture of young players, who featured in the U-20 qualifiers as well as other senior players from local clubs,” said Tetteh. The U-20 Fifa World Cup winning coach faces a massive test in achieving his main objective of qualifying Rwanda for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations finals which will be co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Tetteh’s team, which has not done exactly well in the last three qualifying campaigns, will be required to finish as Group 8 leaders or as one of the best three qualifiers if they are to qualify for the continent’s biggest football competition. Group 8 opponents Ivory Coast are close to signing former Olympique de Marseille coach Gerard Gill for the vacant national team coaching job. The Elephants have been without a coach since their disappointing 2010 World Cup campaign ended in the group stages. Ends

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Amavubi start 2012 CAN preps