When Stephen Constantine was named head coach of the Rwanda national football team in May this year, Rwanda was ranked 131st on the Fifa world rankings and 39th on the African continent.
When Stephen Constantine was named head coach of the Rwanda national football team in May this year, Rwanda was ranked 131st on the Fifa world rankings and 39th on the African continent.
A 3-0 win over Libya which ensured Rwanda progressed to the second round of qualification of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers was the beginning of an ascend spearheaded by the Englishman.
Back then he said that most people from the media to the fans and administrators did not give the Amavubi a chance. They looked at it as routine for the national side to lose to North African nations.
The Amavubi in the past established an unenviable record against the Maghreb sides most notably in June 2012 when Rwanda was thrashed 4-0 by Algeria before a 2-0 loss to Libya and another humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of Tunisia.
It is against this background therefore that fans were weary of results from such encounters but Constantine has breathed new targets into the national team and in the current Fifa rankings, Rwanda is ranked 90th in the world and 24th on the African continent.
Constantine’s record includes a 3-0 thrashing of Libya in Kigali, home and away victories against Gabon in international friendly matches, a 2-0 loss to Congo Brazzaville in Pointe Noir, a 2-0 win against the Red Devils in the return leg and a goalless draw against Morocco earlier this month in a friendly.
"I give credit to the players who have been spectacular and have shown belief that they can make it. I also want to acknowledge Ferwafa that gave me this job,” explained a pleased Constantine.
Constantine further added that, "It is the same players who played for Amavubi last year and the year before but to see this amount of progress is very good for us.”
Uganda remains the highest ranked country in the Cecafa region in 78th position with Ethiopia (110th), Tanzania (112th), Kenya (114th), Sudan (115th), Burundi (124th), South Sudan (189th), Eritrea (202nd), Djibouti (204th) and Somalia (206th).
Rwanda’s highest ranking was in December 2008 in the 78th position.