JUNIOR WASPS head coach Richard Tardy has come up with special training sessions for the U20 strikers ahead of the 2015 African U-20 Youth Championships in Senegal qualifiers. The tournament will be held from March 8-22 in Dakar. Not scoring enough goals has been the biggest problem for Rwandan teams at all levels over the years, and now Tardy thinks putting extra attention on the strikers could help solve the crisis as the U20 team steps up preparations for the continental championships qualifiers. While Tardy is currently working with his strikers and goalkeepers, the whole squad will assemble again in March as they prepare to face South Sudan in the first leg played in due in Juba on the weekend of April 4-6 before hosting the return leg in Kigali on the weekend of April 25-27. The Frenchman arranged the first special training session for his misfiring strikers on Friday. The players being specially attention include; APR quartet of Patrick Sibomana, Suleiman Kakira, Nova Bayama, Maxime Sekamana, SC Kiyovu’s Janvier Benedata, Isonga FC’s duo of Bertrand Iradukunda and Cedric Samba, AS Kigali’s Jean Paul Niyonzima and ASPOR’s Emmanuel Manishimwe. Tardy is not only working with strikers for special drills, but also his goalkeepers; Yves Kimenyi (Isonga FC), Fabrice Fikiri (ASPOR) and Kassim Ndayisenga (APR FC). The U20 coach, who also doubles as the national technical director, was not impressed by his youthful side after it lost a friendly match against league side Police last week, played as part of preparations for Caf African U-20 championships first round of qualification due in April. Midfielder Fabrice Twagizimana scored the lone goal for Police as the Junior Wasps struggled to find the net despite putting on an impressive performance with all the 24 players being given a chance to kick the ball. “We have a lot of work to do in order to be able to challenge our opponents in the continental championships. We need to prepare efficiently because currently only 14 players are on the level of featuring in the upcoming qualifiers,” Tardy said. Rwanda will be looking to qualify for the 2015 African U-20 championships in Senegal from March 8-22 and so far 51 countries are in contention for 7 places to join the hosts Senegal in the finals. Last year, Rwanda failed to go past the first round, losing 4-2 to Mali.
