Football in 2011: A year of mixed fortunes for Rwanda

The year 2011 will probably be best remembered for a series of mixed performances exhibited by Rwandan national teams that made it one of the most troubled since Rwanda’s re-admission into international football almost 33 years ago. Despite the negatives, there have been some positives to take out of the last 12 months as we head towards the New Year 2012. Here are some highs and lows of 2011: HIGHS Junior Wasps finishing runner-ups in Africa U-17 Championship Rwanda hosted a second Africa youth football tournament; the Africa U-17 championship. Being hosts, Rwanda didn’t need to pass through the qualification campaign. The junior wasps, made up of players from Ferwafa, APR and SEC academy as well other Rwandan players born and playing in both Uganda (Proline Academy) and European clubs. The successful organization of the event earned Rwanda another opportunity to host the 2016 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN). Rwanda finished second to Burkina Faso in the tournament. In the group stage, Rwanda beat eventual winners Burkina Faso 2-1 in the opening match as well Egypt 1-0 before losing the final group stage match against Senegal 0-1. With two victories, the junior wasps reached the semi finals were they ejected Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 to storm the final. In the final, Rwanda lost 0-1, but still earned another milestone consolation of being among four nations that would represent African continent at the Fifa U-17 World Cup held in Mexico in June. Rwanda’s first participation in a Fifa World Cup Final Lack of experience marred Rwanda’s maiden participation in the Fifa World Cup finals. Drawn against England, Uruguay and Canada, Rwanda lost the first two matches against England and Uruguay before snatching a point against Canada. Having started the Amavubi centre of excellence in 2009, Fifa lauded Rwanda for their commitment in developing youth football, a feat which enabled them to send a team to the world cup finals in such the shortest possible time. APR’s trophy haul APR has had yet another remarkable year, winning 2010/11 Primus National football league title and MTN Peace Cup. Despite being successful at home, efforts of replicating home success to continental competitions have remained futile as they faced early elimination from CAF Champions League at the hands of Tunisia’s Club Africain. The same happened in the Cecafa Kagame Club Championship held in Tanzania where the team never managed to go past the group stage for the first time in a long time. With huge investment in the transfer market, the 12-times national league champions have major reorganization, and look set to stage another campaign in the coming year when they face Kenya’s Tusker Fc in the Orange Champions league in the preliminary round. Emergence of Kagere The Uganda-born striker Meddie Kagere, who has featured for Atraco, Kiyovu, Mukura, and currently plies his trade with Police Fc helped his side to a third-place finish in 2010/11 Primus National Football League PNFL (PNFL). He notched 16 goals that season. He has scored seven goals in seven matches played in this season’s football league. He was given a call to the national team, Amavubi Stars in October as Rwanda played its final away Group H match in the qualifiers for 2012 Africa Nations Cup. He scored the lone goal as Rwanda beat Benin in their own backyard to jump from bottom to finish second, behind Cote d’Ivoire. He however, made more headlines when he scored five goals for Amavubi during the two-week long Cecafa Tusker Senior Challenge Cup tournament played in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He was joint top-scorer with Amavubi skipper Olivier Karekezi. A hot-property in the region, Kagere is being eyed by many clubs like Kenya’s Gor Mahia, Mozambique’s Ferroviara, Simba and Yanga respectively. The committed sharp-shooter, Kagere says, “I am yet to score goals, I want to go further than what has been displayed and with God’s support, I will achieve it.” To many, Kagere is seen as a good replica for former marksman Jimmy Gatete (now retired), who was a clean striker with a great record. Appointment of Micho After partying company with Sudanese Al Hilal, the vastly experienced and the longest serving European coach in African history, Sredojovic ‘Micho’ Milutin was appointed head coach of Rwanda national team in late October. Replacing Ghanaian coach Sellas Tetteh, who resigned after a 0-5 loss to Cote d’Ivoire in the qualifying match of 2012 Africa Nations Cup in Kigali, Micho came in to salvage the lost pride of the national team. His first mission was to guide Amavubi to the group stage of 2014 World Cup qualifiers; holding Eritrea away in Asmara to a 1-all draw and a 3-1 win at home. He also took Rwanda to the final of Cecafa challenge cup, only to lose to Uganda Cranes. Amavubi miss Cecafa title by a whisker Micho then assembled a youthful side with a mixture of experience, which went on to terrorize the region in the Cecafa Tusker Challenge Cup in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. Amavubi was drawn against hosts Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Djibouti. Rwanda kicked off the campaign on a dazzling note beating hosts Tanzania 1-0 courtesy of Karekezi’s strike. Kagere scored a brace against Zimbabwe in Rwanda’s second game before a 5-2 win over Djibouti with Bokota Labama, Jean BaptisteMugiraneza and a treble from Karekezi. In the last eight, Rwanda renewed rivalry with Zimbabwe whom they dispatched 2-1 to set-up a semi-final clash against Sudan, who will compete in the 2012 Africa Nations Cup finals due in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Strikes from Jean Claude Iranzi and Olivier Karekezi took Rwanda to the final of the tournament, setting up a titanic battle against Uganda Cranes. This was the time to end an 11-year wait for the Cecafa title but this never as Rwandans expected. Amavubi lost 2-3 on penalties after a 2-all draw in 120 minutes of play. This was one of pain-stalking moments for the Amavubi, who had gone seven matches unbeaten under Micho. However, Rwandan was consoled with the Best coach of the tournament (Micho), Player of the tournament (Haruna Niyonzima) and top scorers Karekezi and Kagere. Improved Fifa ranking Going seven matches unbeaten since October, Rwanda improved on her rankings from 132 which was recorded in October to 106 recorded in December. Rwanda’s last improvement in rankings came way back in 2008 when the country was ranked 78th. If Rwanda knocks out Nigeria in the preliminary round of 2013 Africa Nations Cup finals in 2012, the country will definitely find itself among the top 80 in the world rankings, but that’s a big IF. LOWS Habineza resigns following photo scandals In February, the Minister of Culture and Sports, Joseph Habineza resigned his portfolio which he had held for nearly six years following circulation of pictures on the internet portraying indiscretion to the person of the Minister. Pictures widely circulated on the internet showing the minister in what seemed to be a house party in dancing scenes with several women but not in pornographic scenes. “I have resigned due to my conscious telling me that what I did was not right for the person as a minister,” Habineza told the media today. “These pictures are of 2008 when we were at the birthday party in the home of some friend, but am wondering why these photos are circulating now,” he said. U-20 & U-23 poor show In the Africa U-20 championship qualifiers, Rwanda was given a bye into the first round but that seemed to be the last stage of competition. They suffered a 0-2 loss against Congo away in Porto Novo and snatched a 2-1 win over the Congolese side in Kigali but the result was not enough to take them through on aggregates. The U-23 team was also given a bye into the first round but they also wasted the maiden chance as they suffered a similar defeat. The junior wasps suffered a 0-2 loss in Lusaka and a 0-1 in Kigali to bow out of the African race of participating in the final tournament held in Casablance, Morocco. Amavubi’s 0-5 loss & Afcon failure Seven years down the road since Rwanda last participated in the 2004 Africa Nations’ Cup finals, Amavubi were hoping for a taste of the continental big stage. Having placed against Cote d’Ivoire, Benin and Burundi, Rwanda finished second behind Cote d’Ivoire in the final group standings. Rwanda won twice and lost four times to bow out of the Africa tournament. However, the biggest shock of the year occurred when Rwanda suffered a 0-5 loss to Cote d’Ivoire which was full of European-based players. Strikes from Chelsea midfielder Solomon Kalou, a double from Vitesse Arnhem’s striker Bony Wilfred, Yakonan Didier and Arsenal’s Gervinho sealed off the victory. Despite the loss, the U-17 trio of Emery Bayisenge, Andrew Buteera and Charles Mwesigye Tibingana all did well on their senior debuts. The 0-5 loss went into the history of Rwandan football as the fourth biggest defeat of all time. Other biggest defeats include the 1976’s 0-5 loss to Cameroon, 1983’s 0-5 loss to Tunisia and the 1999’s 0-5 loss to neighbors Uganda. Quick Ferwafa resignations The result catapulted into three quick resignations of head coach Sellas Tetteh, CEO Jules Kalisa and President Brig. Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura. Tetteh, who had won the Fifa U-20 World Cup title with Ghana, still had nine month remaining on his two-year contract. During his reign, Tetteh qualified Rwanda to the second edition of Africa Nations’ Championship (CHAN) in Khartoum Sudan where the wasps bowed out of the competition in the preliminary round. Rwanda failed to progress past the quarter final of the Cecafa Challenge Cup after a 1-0 loss to Tanzania last December. In the qualification campaign to the 2012 Africa Nations’ Cup, his services had failed to yield any results for Amavubi. Being the bosses, both Kazura and Kalisa threw in the towel following increasing pressure not only from ordinary Rwandans but even on the political wing. bonnie.mugabe@newtimes.co.rw