While Rwandans are still celebrating Friday’s 3-1 victory over Liberia in Kigali, Amavubi head coach Stephen Constantine has warned that the result is only the beginning of a challenging road ahead. Abeddy Biramahire and brothers Leroy-Jacques Mickels and Joy-Lance Mickels were on target as Rwanda secured three points in front of home supporters, including President Paul Kagame. Constantine welcomed the perfect start to Rwanda’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign but acknowledged that the performance also highlighted the amount of work still required for a team that has not featured at the continental tournament for 22 years. For Constantine, the victory was about more than three points. He stressed that the national team remains a work in progress. “We are trying to build a team for the next five, 10 years,” Constantine said after the match. The Englishman, who is in his second spell in charge of Rwanda, believes sustainable success will require patience, continuity and a strong focus on developing young players rather than chasing short-term results. Rwanda went into the Liberia encounter with limited preparation. The squad had less than three days together before kick-off and had not played collectively since March. Plans for preparatory matches during the June international window also fell through after Rwanda were forced to leave their training base in Marrakech without playing the scheduled friendlies against Comoros and Tanzania. The matches were cancelled by the Moroccan authorities as part of health precautions related to an Ebola outbreak. That left Constantine and his coaching staff with little time to implement their ideas. Despite the difficult circumstances, the coach regarded the victory as a significant achievement. “We got the three points, which was the most important thing,” he said. “But there are still many things we need to improve.” While the result offered immediate satisfaction, Constantine made it clear that his ambitions extend beyond the senior national team. He wants to establish stronger pathways for young players and help build a football structure capable of consistently producing talent for years to come. Constantine revealed that he has already shared his long-term plans with the Ministry of Sports and the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA), stressing that sustainable progress will require a collective effort. “This is not a one-man band. This is not about me,” he said. “It is about everybody. The federation, the government, the media and the football community all have a role to play.” The former India and Nepal coach believes Rwanda has the potential to become competitive across all age categories if investment in player development and football infrastructure continues. “If we stay on the right path and continue investing in our players, we can have teams that are difficult to beat at every level,” he said. For supporters, Friday’s victory offered more than a winning start to the qualifying campaign. It provided an early glimpse of Constantine’s vision for an Amavubi side built around youth development, continuity and long-term planning. Rwanda’s attention now turns to their next assignment, an away fixture against Cape Verde in Praia on September 29, before a demanding home clash against Mali in November.
