Rwanda begin the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign on November 15, hosting Zimbabwe at Huye Stadium before facing South Africa six days later, at the same venue. Anything less than six points from the opening two home fixtures will not be a disaster but greatly reduce Amavubi’s chances.
We have been here before and are used to the disappointments and false dawns, so whatever the outcome, win or lose, the realists expect things to be business as usual—reason being, this current crop of players don’t seem to have the mental strength to deal with high-pressure games.
"Our main target is to win every game and be competitive. If those wins secure the team the ticket, we will take it,” those are words of newly appointed Amavubi head coach Torsten Frank Spittler.
Addressing his first press conference on Thursday, the German noted, "We have to be realistic; Rwanda is lying 147th in the world. Teams at that position qualifying for the World Cup is rare but we have to win all our games and see what happens."
Indeed, these are words that can only be uttered by a coach/person, who seems to know his trade—make an overly optimistic promise but accompany it with a caveat of caution. Clever.
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Spittler knows, just like all of us, that Rwanda to qualify from Group H, which also includes Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Benin—Amavubi will not only need to win more than they lose or draw but most importantly hope that their opponents don’t have similar aspirations.
The Amavubi coach admits his team will find it tough to make it to the finals tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico considering their lowly position in the FIFA ranking but still believes "it is not something that can’t be achieved.”
Spittler is into an unforgiving business where you can’t have his cake and eat it—if he says his team doesn’t have what it takes to make the World Cup, that would be showing weakness while saying, like he did on Thursday, November 9, that Amavubi can defy odds and qualify, is equal to burying himself in a pressure cooker!
No one, and I definitely would be the last to expect this current team to do things that the previous teams achieved—but in this team, I don’t see a Hamad "Katauti” Ndikumana (RIP), Olivier Karekezi, Jimmy Gatete, Eric Nshimiyimana, Elias Ntaganda, Abdul Sibomana, Claude Kalisa, Désiré Mbonabucya, Elias (João) Manamana and Jimmy Mulisa among other big characters.
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Rwanda qualified for its first Africa Cup of Nations at the 2004 edition where they lost their opening match 2-1 to hosts Tunisia before winning their first ever point in the competition after a 1-1 draw against Guinea. Amavubi went on to beat DR Congo in their final group match 1-0.
In the qualifiers, Rwanda, who were the underdogs in a three-team group, beat Ghana (home) and Uganda (away) hence pipping their more illustrious opponents to the sole (qualification) spot—I don’t see this squad being able to replicate that albeit that fact they still third and still qualify through playoffs.
Spittler and his team would not have wished for a better opening game line-up than kicking off their campaign with two "winnable” home fixtures—Zimbabwe and South Africa are good teams but both are far from being labelled world-beaters.
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Amavubi should carry no fear into the November 15 and 21 matches—all they need to do is turn-up well prepared both physically and mentally, make use of the home support, and hope that they get the rub off the positive energy of the new coach.
If they can just be competitive as Spittler promised and go on to pull off a near miracle feat, and win the opening two home fixtures, then Rwandans can begin to dream but I wouldn’t bet my house on that happening.
Good luck on Wednesday!