Rwanda head coach Frank Torsten Spittler has handed Rayon Sports duo Roger Kanamugire and Hakim Bugingo as well as Gorilla FC defender Samuel Nsengiyumva debut national team call ups as a reward to their impressive performances as their respective clubs. The trio is part of Spittler’s 38-man squad summoned for the forthcoming FIFA international friendlies against Madagascar and Botswana. Both friendly fixtures will take place in Madagascar between March 18 and March 26 respectively. Kanamugire and Bugingo have been in fine form as they have been enjoying playing under new head coach Julien Mette while Nsengiyumva has established himself as a key figure in Gorilla’s defense despite being a club going on the brink of relegation from the top flight league. Overall, the squad comprises 12 foreign-based players including the likes of skipper Djihad Bizimana of Ukraine league leaders FC Kryvbas, left-back Emmanuel Imanishimwe of AS FAR Rabat who also lead the race for the title in Morocco, goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari of TS Galaxy and in form Arthur Gitego who has been enjoying a blistering start to life at new club AFC Leopards in Kenya. ALSO READ: 2026 WC Qualifiers: Nshuti and Mugisha fire Rwanda past South Africa Muhadjiri Hakizimana of Police FC, Steve Rubanguka of Al Nojoom in Saudi Arabia, and Abeddy Biramahire of UD Songo in Mozambique are among the notable returnees after missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively. On the local front, APR has nine representatives in the squad including familiar faces such as Omborenga Fitina, Christian Ishimwe, and Bosco Ruboneka while Rayon also has six players including Kevin Muhire and Isaac Mitima. Gorilla, Police and AS Kigali have two players each, with Musanze and Kiyovu Sports each having one. Spittler will be using the upcoming friendly games as part of his preparations for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho in June. Amavubi were off to a bright start to the qualifiers from which they drew goalless with Zimbabwe before beating South Africa 2-0 at Huye Stadium to go top of the Group B table with four points, ahead of the likes of African giants Nigeria who have two points. The team is expected to enter a training camp on Monday, March 11. Goalkeepers Fiacre Ntwari- TS Galaxy Adolphe Hakizimana - AS Kigali Maxime Wensens -Royal Union Gad Muwahenayo- Musanze FC Defenders Fitina Omborenga - APR Jean Bosco Akayezu - AS Kigali Samuel Nsengiyumva -Gorilla FC Hakim Bugingo - Rayon Sports Claude Niyomugabo -APR Christian Ishimwe -APR Emmanuel Imanishimwe- FAR Rabat Aimable Nsabimana-Rayon Sports Ange Mutsinzi - Jerv Thierry Manzi - Al Ahli Tripoli Clément Niyigena-APR Isaac Mitima-Rayon Sports Yunusu Nshimiyimana -APR Midfielders Djihad Bizimana- Kryvbas FC Jean Bosco Ruboneka- APR Simeon Iradukunda- Gorilla FC Bonheur Mugisha- APR Olivier Niyonzima-Kiyovu Sports Steve Rubanguka- Al Nojom Roger Kanamugire-Rayon Sports Lague Byiringiro-Sandviken Patrick Sibomana-Gor Mahia Ramadhan Niyibizi-APR Tuyisenge Arsène-Rayon Sports Alain Kwitonda-APR Forwards Gilbert Mugisha-APR Hadji Iraguha-Rayon Sports Bienvenue Mugenzi-Police FC Hakim Sahabo -Standard Liege Muhadjiri Hakizimana -Police FC Innocent Nshuti-One Knoxville Arthur Gitego-AFC Leopards Abeddy Biramahire -UD Songo
