Friendly matchesJan. 6Rwanda vs SudanJan. 10Rwanda vs Algeria

RWANDA will play two warm-up matches against Sudan and Algeria early next month as part of preparations for the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals tournament set for January 12 to February 4 in Morocco.

Amavubi will hold a ten-day training camp in Tunisia from January 2 to 11 before connecting to Morocco.

Despite a disappointing performance at the just concluded CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Kenya, Amavubi’s head coach Antoine Hey is optimistic that the two friendly matches will be important in preparing the team ahead of the CHAN finals.

"It is very important to give most of our players a chance. As usual in friendly matches, we have six substitutions and I will use them all. We have seen at CECAFA that it is a big step from the local league into international football, it’s important that our players get into match fitness early,” Hey said.

The Rwandan delegation to CHAN will depart for Tunisia on New Year to start preparations ahead of their opening Group C opening encounter against 2014 champions Libya scheduled for January 15 in Tangier.

Amavubi will also face Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea in the group. Libya are the only former CHAN champions at the 2018 edition. The 2009 and 2016 champions DR Congo as well as the 2011 champions Tunisia did not qualify for next year’s finals.

Group B, is comprised of Ivory Coast, Zambia, Uganda and Namibia, who will play the group matches in Marrakech. Group D includes Angola, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Congo Brazzaville; their games will be staged in Agadir.

Group A will pit the hosts Morocco against Guinea Conakry, the 2011 hosts Sudan and Mauritania. They will play the group matches in Casablanca.

Rwanda qualified for CHAN 2018 after beating Ethiopia 3-2 on aggregate score over two legs. This is Rwanda’s third appearance in CHAN finals after 2011 and 2016.

Africa’s second biggest football tournament gathers exclusively players featuring in their respective domestic leagues. It is held once in two years since its inception in 2009 in Ivory Coast.

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