Rwanda’s wait for a win in a competitive game since March 24, 2021 continues as Wednesday’s goalless draw with Zimbabwe extended their winless streak. Held at Huye Stadium, the 2026 World Cup Group C qualifier was a take of two halves as Zimbabwe dominated the first half while Rwanda imposed their authority in the second half. Balance prevailed and spoils were shared. Times Sport takes a look at five things we learnt the game. Even under Spittler, goals aren’t guaranteed! It looks like Rwanda’s goals scoring curse has never gone away. Vincent Mashami and Carlos Ferrer failed to get Amavubi’s attacking department firing and their successor Spittler is no different. The team faltered again when the likes of Innocent Nshuti, Gilbert Mugisha and Lague Byiringiro struggled to find the back of the net against Zimbabwe. Decent chances were created from the midfield but the attackers were nowhere near finishing the least of the occasions they had their disposal. Amavubi still lack an attacking spark and Spittler has a tough task to solve the situation if he is to break the team’s goal scoring struggles for good. ALSO READ: 2026 WC qualifiers: Zimbabwe hold Amavubi in Spittler's debut test Brito's early tactical substitution was worth it The first 20 minutes of the game saw Zimbabwe laboring before coach Brito Baltemar quickly read the game and brought in Terrence Dzvukamanja for Admiral Muskwe in the 23rd minute. It brought urgency in the attack of the Warriors as Dzvukamanja became a thorn in the flesh of defender Thierry Manzi. The striker could have scored twice it weren’t for Ange Mutsinzi’s defending brilliance. ALSO READ: Spittler impressed with Amavubi output despite Zimbabwe upset Djihad Bizimana is back! The Amavubi skipper completely outclassed Marshall Munetsi as the Stade Reims defensive midfielder remained in his shadows. Bizimana was excellent with his tackles, passes, shooting and, above all, ability to lead his teammates on the pitch. The Rubavu-born captain is a regular player at his new club FC Kryvbas in Ukraine where he has played 13 games. He replicated his form at club level to the national team with class display against Zimbabwe. Mutsinzi needs a better defensive partner Thierry Manzi, a one-time Amavubi defensive stalwart is now becoming error prone. He gifted Mozambique the second goal during Amavubi's 2-0 defeat in an AFCON qualifier in June and he nearly did the same, this time against Zimbabwe, only for Ange Mutsinzi to come to the rescue. Mutsinzi has consistently been a top defender and, if Manzi is not up to the task, Isaac Mitima, who has been in superb form at Rayon Sports, deserves a chance to join him at the back. They can potentially form a solid partnership in future fixtures. Zimbabwe can only get better For a team which has been inactive for one year and a half serving FIFA ban, their commendable performance against Rwanda showed their rivals that the team is back to business. The Warriors were superb in the first half as they created a host of goal scoring chances. Their only problem is that, the telepathy is not there and they will need time to jell. The more games they play, the better they will become. They will undoubtedly find their rhythm.
