AYC Qualifier, SaturdayMali vs RwandaRwanda’s U-20 national team leave for Bamako this morning for the return leg of the 2013 Africa Youth Championship second round qualifier against Mali that will be played this Saturday.The team flies out aboard Ethiopian Airways. They will have a stop-over in Addis Ababa before connecting to Bamako.Head coach Richard Tardy is optimistic of Rwanda’s chances of winning the return leg. The Junior Wasps squeezed a 2-1n victory fortnight ago in Kigali.Rwanda only needs a draw to be assured of a place in the third and final qualifying round.The Frenchman said his team will not sit back and defend their slender lead but rather go for an away goal. “We have one goal more but need to try to win in Bamako. We are going over there (Bamako) in high spirits after winning the first leg,” Tardy told Times Sport on yesterday. He added that he has a “fully-fit squad”, and in the absence of key defender Salomon Nirisarike, who wasn’t release by his Belgian club Royal Antwerp, he plans to keep the same team which played in the first leg.In addition to Nirisarike, Tardy, who led Rwanda’s U-17 team to the Fifa World Cup in Mexico last year, will be without another influential defender Faustin Usengimana, who also missed the first leg tie with a hip injury.Seven qualifying teams will join hosts Algeria for the 2013 AYC finals.Travelling Squad: Olivier Kwizera, Steven Ntalibi, Michel Rusheshangoga, Francois Hakizimana, Tibingana Charles Mwesigye, Bonny Bayingana, Tumaine Ntamuhanga, Patrick Sibomana, Patrick Umwungeli, Emmanuel Sebanani, Eric Nsabimana, Emery Bayisenge, Robert Ndatimana, Bonfils Kabanda, Jean Marie Rusingizandekwe, Hamdan Bariyanga, Jean d’Amour Uwimana and Julius Bakkaburindi.Staff:Gasana Celse (Head of delegation), Richard Tardy (Head coach), Eric Nshimiyimana (Assistant coach), Vincent Mashami (Assistant coach), Calliope Kabalisa (Goalkeeper’s coach), Patrick Rutamu (Team doctor) and Emery Kamanzi (Team Manager)
