Rwanda’s U15 national team had a disappointing start to the FIFA U-15 World Cup Festival campaign, suffering a 5-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in the opening Group Y match on Saturday, October 24. Thierry Hitimana’s young side struggled against a dominant Ivorian side that began its campaign in emphatic fashion, leaving Rwanda with plenty to do as they look to recover in their remaining group fixtures. The tournament, which is being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, brings together young players from different footballing backgrounds, offering them valuable international exposure and an opportunity to develop their skills against their peers. Rwanda are competing in Group Y alongside Côte d’Ivoire, Vanuatu, Albania, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Mauritania. The team travelled to Azerbaijan with a 14-player squad, aiming to gain experience and assess the progress of the country’s emerging football talent. Despite the heavy opening defeat, Rwanda will have little time to dwell on the result, with two more matches scheduled for Sunday, October 25. The Amavubi youngsters will first face Vanuatu before taking on Albania later in the day. They will then conclude their group-stage campaign with matches against the Turks and Caicos Islands and Mauritania on Monday, October 26. The FIFA U-15 World Cup Festival features an eight-a-side format, with each match lasting 40 minutes, divided into two 20-minute halves. The competition is designed to provide young footballers with international experience while helping participating nations identify, evaluate and develop emerging talent. Meanwhile, Côte d’Ivoire will return to action on Sunday against the Turks and Caicos Islands and Vanuatu as they seek to build on their convincing opening victory. Rwanda now face the challenge of regrouping quickly and responding positively in their remaining fixtures as they look to gain valuable experience and finish their campaign on a stronger note. Rwanda’s upcoming fixtures Rwanda vs Vanuatu — October 25 Rwanda vs Albania — October 25 Rwanda vs Turks and Caicos Islands — October 26 Rwanda vs Mauritania — October 26
