AFCON 2019 Qualifiers (Group H)

Sunday

Rwanda       Vs    CAR               15:30

Guinea         Vs    Ivory Coast   19:00

Vincent Mashami has insisted that Amavubi will not take the clash against Central African Republic (CAR) lightly despite having very little to play for when the two sides face-off at Huye Stadium on Sunday – starting at 3:30pm.

The hosts have only picked one point from their first four Group ‘H’ games in the ongoing qualifiers for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals tournament due in Cameroon.

Amavubi will be on the hunt for a first win, and trying to restore the fans’ lost confidence.

For Amavubi to stand a chance to qualify for the AFCON 2019 finals tournament, they must defeat CAR and Ivory Coast in March next year at the 45000-seater Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, hoping that Guinea beat Ivory Coast today.

Speaking to Sunday Sport on Saturday, Amavubi head coach Mashami was confident in his players and in the team’s quest to land their first group win after a poor run of results in the last four games.

"We have had good preparations for the last two weeks, my players are up for the challenge. We may be fighting for very little, but, it’s important that we win – at least for the fans. We won’t take the game lightly at all,” said the former APR tactician.

Rwanda will be without experienced midfielders Haruna Niyonzima and Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza, as well as Belgium-based centre-back Salomon Nirisarike.

Mashami further noted: "We have nothing to lose, we are going to play attacking football and create opportunities to score as many goals as we can. I have confidence in my players for the task.”

With skipper Niyonzima and his assistant Mugiraneza have been snubbed for the CAR game, Gor Mahia forward Jacques Tuyisenge will be the stand-in captain.

Elsewhere in Group H, Guinea host Ivory Coast looking for a double over the 2015 African champions, having won the first-leg 3-2 in Abidjan. The game starts at 7pm CAT.

Going into the penultimate match-day, Guinea lead the group with 10 points, Ivory Coast are second with 7 points while CAR are in third position with 4 points.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw