Amavubi keen to end 13-year winless run against Uganda Cranes
Sunday, January 17, 2021
National football team midfielder Seph Niyonzima with the ball during a training session in Cameroun. / Courtesy

Group C

January, 18 

Rwanda vs Uganda (Stade de la Reunification in Douala, 10 pm)

January, 22

Morocco vs Rwanda

The national football team, Amavubi, will be keen to end a 13 year-winless win against the Uganda Cranes in the opening game of the CHAN tournament slated on Monday, January 18, in Cameroon.

This will be the 33rd meeting between the two sides. Rwanda has won 10, drawn 8 and lost 14 games. The last time Amavubi defeated Uganda was in 2007 in the CECAFA Cup.

Amavubi coach Vincent Mashami believes his side can defeat the Cranes who have been in good form.

"We are coming up against a team that has been in good form but I think we have the players to nullify their threats and get a win,” Mashami said.

The 39-year-old former APR coach will also come up against his former Boss, Johnny McKinstry who was head coach of Amavubi during the 2016 CHAN tournament. Mashami was his Assistant then.

Amavubi are pooled in Group C along with defending champions Morocco and West African nation Togo.

After featuring in three past editions, Rwanda has only made it past the group stage once, when the country hosted the tournament in 2016.

The event will be hosted by the cities of Yaounde, Douala, and Limbe and will also serve as a warm-up for Cameroon ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.

For Amavubi to secure a slot into the quarter-finals, they will need to finish in the top two. This is the fourth time overall and third in a row to be in CHAN finals for Amavubi.