Rwanda’s Olympic team seeks to start the year with victory over their Tanzanian counterparts when they face off in a Fifa friendly match
Rwanda’s Olympic team seeks to start the year with victory over their Tanzanian counterparts when they face off in a Fifa friendly match at the CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza on January 22.
Rwanda Football Federation (Ferwafa) secretary-general Jean Olivier Mulindahabi told Rwanda Today this week that the match is among the calendar events that national coach Stephen Constantine has drawn up as part of preparations for the 2016 Olympic qualifying and the 2016 Orange African Nations Championship (Chan) for home-based players’, whose finals will be held in Rwanda.
“Ninety per cent of players in the Olympic team also comprise the Chan team, so it’s a good platform for the coach to prepare the group adequately so that we can have good performances in both tournaments,” said Mulindahabi.
This will be Rwanda’s second friendly in a space of one month following the goalless draw against Burundi in December.
Constantine, who is expected in the country before the end of this week, said recently that the only way for the Junior Wasps to be strong and gain shape, exposure and experience is to engage them in more international matches ahead of the Olympic qualifiers due in March.
Rwanda struggled to contain the Burundians in the first half with the neighbours dominating through Amissi Cedric and Steve Ndikumasabo. It was only in the second half that Rwanda managed to come back into the game with Patrick Sibomana, Emery Bayisenge and Ernest Sugira forcing Burundian goalkeeper Innocent Mbonihankuye to make different saves.
“In December, when we played against Burundi, this was the first time some of the boys were playing together at the international level, contrary to our opponents, who had been together,” said Constantine then. “To lift their shape, we need many international matches so as to uplift their confidence.”
The Briton is expected to maintain the same team but he may be forced to summon Tanzania-based Haruna Niyonzima to add steel in the offensive midfield.
Tanzania has said that the match will be part of Taifa Stars’ preparations for Chan. Dutch coach Mart Nooij is expected to name the squad any time.