Amavubi will be without skipper Djihad Bizimana who is suspended for their match day 6 game of the World 2026 Cup qualifiers against Lesotho at Amahoro Stadium on Tuesday, March 25. The Al Ahli Tripoli midfielder has accumulated two yellow cards, after he was booked in the 48th minute during Rwanda’s 2-0 defeat to the Super Eagles of Nigeria on Friday. He will now be watching from the stands during Tuesday’s match against Lesotho while serving a one-match suspension. Bizimana has been the heart and soul of Rwanda in recent games both in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers and AFCON 2026 qualifiers. He has barely put a wrong foot in Amavubi jersey and has earned plaudits from opposing players including Nigeria skipper Williams Troost-Ekong. He has shown he is a talent and he can walk straight to any star-studded national team in Africa and command a starting place. ALSO READ: WC 2026: How can Amrouche pass Osimhen led Nigeria test Amavubi lost 2-0 at the hands of Nigeria but one cannot count three best players on the field on the day without mentioning Bizimana whose output and influence was so glaring as he marshaled the midfield to perfection. Will Amavubi be the same without Bizimana? Bizimana has always shown leadership as the captain of Rwanda. He will be dearly missed in their crunch encounter against Lesotho on Tuesday. He perfectly fits in Rwanda’s three-man midfield, acting as the engine which drives the team forward. Until the last game with Nigeria, Amavubi's preferred midfield were Bonheur Mugisha, as defensive midfielder (number 6), Djihad Bizimana (number 8) and Kevin Muhire (number 10) although the latter started on the bench as new head coach Adel Amrouche started Hakim Sahabo. How could Amrouche line up his team without Bizimana? Lesotho head coach Leslie Notsi has emphasized that he has ‘nothing to lose’ against Rwanda and he is coming to Kigali to attack. With the absence of Bizimana, Amrouche who also needs a win to boost their World Cup 2026 qualification hopes, must alter his formation and also selection. If he decides to go for the 4-2-3-1 formation, which he used against Nigeria, the best option to replace Bizimana in central midfield is Samuel Gueulette. Gueulette struggled against Nigeria and was hurled off in the 35th minute because he was played out of his natural position. He can play in midfield with Bonheur Mugisha and the coach should start Kevin Muhire ahead of Sahabo as the offensive midfielder or as the number 10. Central midfield is Gueulette’s main position where his passes, ability to retrieve the ball and dictate the pace of the game becomes very useful. He played his best game when he started in midfield during Rwanda’s 2-1 win over Benin in the AFCON qualifiers. But Amrouche could also try flat 4-4-2 where playing two strikers means Amavubi will attack more and the central midfield won't have much to do or will be virtually non-existent. Rutsiro FC striker Yves Habimana, who came from the bench to score against Nigeria before his goal was ruled out for offside, showed glimpses of brilliance. He can pair with Innocent Nshuti in a two-man attack, then Mugisha will play No 6 with Kevin Muhire, who recorded the most assists in the league, will feature as number 8 with Jojea Kwizera and Gilbert Mugisha as the orthodox 7 and 11. With this formation, Rwanda won't feel much about the absence of Bizimana and they could still stick to two central midfielders in Gueulette and Jean Bosco Ruboneka on the bench. Either of the two can come on later to change the formation. Rwanda will miss Djihad Bizimana and it is a fact as he is irreplaceable but change in formation won't make his absence be felt so much. Lesotho play as a unit and they are so hard to break. They went and pulled a draw against Nigeria in Uyo. Amrouche must make the right selection and go with the correct tactical formation in order to beat them.
