Amavubi players have vowed to give their all in a bid to win against Ethiopia for the 2023 CHAN qualifier that will be staged in Huye Stadium, on Saturday, September 3. The players gave their vows during a brief meeting with Sports Minister Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju at the national team’s camp in Huye District on Tuesday, August 30. Rwanda and Ethiopia played a goalless draw in the first leg in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, a week earlier. The Minister assured the national team that if they win Saturday’s game, a very special token of appreciation awaits them for the fans. She told them that if they win the match, their country will be proud of them in the best way possible. Rwanda has played in four CHAN finals, and twice (2016 and 2021) reached the quarter-finals, out of seven editions of the competition since 2009. Captain Haruna Niyonzima said “It’s still hard to come to terms with the fact that we drew in the first leg but the team’s performance throughout the game is proof that we are on the way up. It is our job to make sure we keep improving ahead of the return leg.” The country hopes to make its fifth appearance in Africa’s second biggest international tournament, which is reserved for only players featuring in their respective domestic leagues. Algeria will host the eighth edition set for January 8-31, 2023.
