Rwanda U-17 head coach Jimmy Mulisa has praised his players for displaying a fighting spirit throughout the CECAFA U-17 AFCON qualifiers despite suffering a semifinal elimination at the hands of Somalia. The hosts saw their hopes of reaching the final and securing qualification for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) suffer a major setback after Somalia eliminated them on penalties. The two sides were locked at 1-1 after regulation time before Somalia prevailed in the shootout. Despite the disappointment, Mulisa said he was pleased with the progress made by his young side, although he had hoped to win the tournament on home soil. I am happy about the team. We played against very good, tactically organised teams, said Mulisa. The players showed character throughout the tournament and competed well against strong opponents. This competition has given them valuable experience for the future. The former Rwanda international acknowledged the disappointment of falling short of their qualification target but insisted the tournament had highlighted the potential of Rwanda's emerging generation of footballers. Of course, we wanted to reach the final and qualify, but football can be decided by small details. We will take the positives and continue working with these players because they have a bright future. Rwanda entered the semifinals following an impressive group-stage campaign in which they established themselves as one of the tournament's standout teams. Their performances earned Mulisa the Best Coach award for the group stage, recognising his impact during the competition. Despite the unfortunate elimination, Mulisa believes the tournament represents an important step in the development of the country's young talent. This is not the end for these players. The experience they have gained here will help them improve and prepare for future competitions. They should be proud of what they achieved. Although Rwanda missed out on a place in the final, their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-17 AFCON remain alive. The hosts must beat Ethiopia in Monday's third-place playoff to secure a place at the continental showpiece. Meanwhile, Somalia and Uganda secured automatic qualification for the U-17 AFCON after reaching the final. Uganda booked their place in the title decider with a commanding 4-0 victory over Ethiopia in the other semifinal.
