Stephen Constantine says the Rwanda national football team squad assembled for the FIFA Series 2026 shows promise, despite having only a few days together in camp. Constantine’s first test in his second spell in charge of Amavubi will come against Grenada national football team on Friday, March 27, at Amahoro Stadium. The two sides are in Group A alongside Estonia national football team and Kenya national football team, who will co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Uganda and Tanzania. ALSO READ: What you should know as FIFA Series 2026 kicks off in Kigali A number of new faces have been included in Constantine’s squad for the tournament. Among them is Hakim Sahabo, who returns to the national team after a nine-month absence following his exclusion by former head coach Adel Amrouche in June 2025. Other debut call-ups include David Niyo, Mickels Joy Slayd, Karl Matteo Ndayishimiye—brother of Tresor Ndayishimiye—as well as Mickels Leroy Jacques and Hugo Bigirimana. Ahead of the clash with Grenada, Constantine expressed confidence in his players and hinted at a fresh direction for the team. “They’re working as hard as they can. I don’t like to make predictions, but I think you’re going to see a different team from what you have seen before,” he said. “This squad was not selected by me, and it is difficult for players to show everything they have in just two or three days. But we will put the best eleven on the pitch and take it one game at a time.” Team captain Djihad Bizimana echoed the coach’s optimism, highlighting the positive atmosphere in camp. “From what I have seen in the dressing room, morale is high and the players are ready to fight. Whoever starts will give their all—it’s do or die for us,” Bizimana said. Rwanda heads into the tournament under pressure following a disappointing 2025 campaign, but the skipper insists the focus is firmly on the future. “We are confident the team will have a good run and a successful FIFA Series. We are also learning a lot—the coach has introduced new tactics and strategies to help us win matches.” Earlier on the same day, Kenya will face Estonia at 18:00 CAT at Amahoro Stadium. The winners of the group matches will progress to the final, while the remaining teams will contest classification matches to conclude the series.
