Amavubi off to Nairobi for CECAFA Senior Challenge

The national football team (Amavubi) will depart for the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Friday ahead of the 39th CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup slated for December 3 to 17.

Friday, December 01, 2017

Peter Kamasa

Amavubi players in jovial mood during a training session at Amahoro National Sstadium on Wednesday. Sam Ngendahimana

Pools:

Group A: Kenya, Libya, Rwanda, Tanzania, ZanzibarGroup B: Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, South Sudan

The national football team (Amavubi) will depart for the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Friday ahead of the 39th CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup slated for December 3 to 17.

Amavubi defender Thierry Manzi sheilds the ball.

Antoine Hey’s Amavubi begin their campaign in Group A against hosts Kenya on December 3. They will face Tanzania, Libya and Zanzibar in the same group.

National football team head coach Antoine Hey told the media that he targets to win CECAFA senior challenge cup

After booking the last ticket to the 2018 African Nations Championships (CHAN) finals tournament, which will start January 12 to February 4 in Morocco, Amavubi had a couple of training sessions at Amahoro National Stadium.

Amavubi depart on Friday ahead of the 39th edition CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup slated for December 3 to 17.

Rwandans will be hoping that the team can go a step better and win a second regional title since their last in 1998. Hey will use only local players in the forthcoming two week-long regional tournament.

Police FC goalkeeper Marcel Nzarora who is the second goalie of Amavubi has had a wound on his lips during the training.

Hey will use only local players in the forthcoming two week-long regional tournament to prepare his side for the CHAN

Hey said, "These are very important matches that we want to win. We have qualified for the CHAN tournament and we will use these games to prepare for the event, we need to play these games for the honor of the country and in terms of improving ourselves.”

APR FC' s Muhadjiri cheers on Ombalenga during the training

"I expect a good performance from the players since their performance will determine how they would perform in the CHAN,” the German tactician disclosed.

The former Kenya national team coach noted that, "We will not use professional players at the Challenge Cup as we need to look at the home-based players as we prepare for CHAN finals.”

Djabel Imanishimwe, Muhadjiri Hakizimana and Justin Mico vie for the ball during the training session on Wednesday (Sam Ngendahimana)

Nine countries will take part in the 2017 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup. These are; hosts Kenya, Uganda (holders), Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Sudan, Zanzibar plus guest team, Libya.

Etincelles FC headcoach Emmanuel Ruremesha and SC Kiyovu coach Cassa Mbungo Andre followed the training

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe have withdrawn from taking part in the regional championship citing the ‘volatile security situation’ in Kenya. Zimbabwe, was one of the two invited guests together with Libya.

FERWAFA president Nzamwita chats with coaching staff as he visited the team at Amahoro stadium

Zimbabwe had been pooled in Group B with Uganda, Burundi and South Sudan. Zimbabwe’s withdrawal leaves only nine teams in the competition with CECAFA member Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti having also earlier pulled out.

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