The National football team coach Vincent Mashami has challenged his team to reach the quarterfinals of Total African Nations Championship (CHAN), Cameroon 2020 which runs from January 16 to February 7, 2021.
Mashami said this on Wednesday, December 23 after releasing a provision squad of 31 players that will start preparations for the tournament.
"My top priority is to help Amavubi reach the quarterfinal. I have told the players that we have to impress and doing that will require us to qualify for the latter stages of the tournament,” Mashami said.
Amavubi players will enter residential camp on Thursday at Golden Tulip Nyamata after being tested for Covid-19.
Of the 31 players, eleven are from APR FC, four came from Rayon Sports, five were called up from AS Kigali, Police FC has six, Kiyovu has three while Musanze FC and Gasogi United has one each.
Amavubi is in Group C with Morocco, Uganda and Togo.
Amavubi will start their group campaign against Uganda before champions Morocco and will wrap their group matches against debutants Togo.
"It is a tough group, but I also think we have the ability to make it past the group stage. And, that is going to be our main target.” He noted
Meanwhile, Mashami, who was assistant coach during 2016 CHAN will be facing his former boss Johnny McKinstry who now coaches the Ugandan Cranes.
Rwanda made it to the continental tournament’s three consecutive editions.
Since the inception of CHAN in 2009, Rwanda has only missed the inaugural edition and the 2014 tournament, making its debut in 2011 before hosting the 2016 showpiece and qualifying for the 6th edition.
However, the country’s best performance in the tournament is the quarterfinals in 2016. Amavubi bowed out from the group stage at the 2011 and 2018 editions.
31 man provision squad
Goalkeepers: Yves Kimenyi (SC Kiyovu Sports), Eric ‘Bakame’ Ndayishimiye (AS Kigali), Olivier Kwizera (Rayon Sports) and Umar Rwabugiri (APR FC).
Defenders: Thierry Manzi (APR FC), Ange Mutsinzi (APR FC), Hervé Rugwiro (Rayon Sports), Aimable Nsabimana (Police FC), Fitina Omborenga (APR FC), Emmanuel Imanishimwe (APR FC), Eric Rutanga (Police FC), Faustin Usengimana (Police FC), Emery Bayisenge (AS Kigali), Michel Rusheshangoga (AS Kigali) na Ally Serumogo (SC Kiyovu).
Midfielders: Olivier ‘Seif’ Niyonzima (APR FC), Eric Ngendahimana (SC Kiyovu), Martin Fabrice Twizeyimana (Police FC), Eric Nsabimana (AS Kigali), Djabel Manishimwe (APR FC), Dominique Savio Nshuti (Police FC) and Rachid Kalisa (AS Kigali).
Forwards: Lague Byiringiro (APR FC), Ernest Sugira (Rayon Sports), Danny Usengimana (APR FC), Jean Bertrand Iradukunda (Gasogi United), Osée Iyabivuze (Police FC), Justin Mico (Police FC), Jacques Tuyisenge (APR FC), Muhadjiri Hakizimana (AS Kigali) and Onesme Twizerimana (Musanze).
Groups:
Group A: Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and Mali
Group B: Libya, DR Congo, Congo and Niger
Group C: Morocco, Rwanda, Uganda and Togo
Group D: Zambia, Guinea, Namibia and Tanzania