Amavubi lose friendly ahead of Mali match

International friendlyYesterdayRwanda 0-1 Libya2014 World Cup qualifier SundayRwanda vs MaliTHE Amavubi team copped a defensive blunder to suffer a 1-0 defeat to Libya in a pre-World Cup qualifier warm up match held at Amahoro stadium yesterday.Amavubi looked headed for a home draw against Libya-ranked 63rd in the world and 13th in Africa, after playing some good football compared to past matches that have been held on home soil.But a late strike from midfielder El Mugrabi Mohammed with a player-less after defensive kingpin Mbuyu Twite had gone out to nurse an injury ensured the higher-ranked side triumphed.Rayon Sport defender Faustin Usengimana substituted Mbuyu but his presence never made any impact with four minutes of added time to change the scoreline.The first half was so scrappy with both sides not making any early positive impact. Both sides had less opportunities on goal but among the two chances on target gotten, Libya utilised one chance which earned them victory as Meddie Kagere and Elias Uzamukunda wasted the other chances.Amavubi ranked 132nd looked disjointed early and were put under heavy pressure. But they made an industrious come-back in the game and went ahead to persistently put on a menacing presence. Elias Uzamukunda had the first close chance saved by Nashnush Mohammed from Aphrodis Hategikimana’s set-piece while Dady Birori wasted a great late first half opportunity when he failed to head home an aerial cross from Jean Claude Iranzi.Coach Milutin Sredojovic ‘Micho’ got a chance to test his 18 players who put an average game despite their opponents mounting a solid defense at the back.Libya’s first genuine chance fell to Zuway Ahmed in the 30th minute but he failed to get a shot on target after some dazzling build up from El Mugrabi.In the second half, Meddie Kagere squandered a good chance in the 60th minute and goalie Nashnush Mohammed denied Edwin a header with a great save in the 73rd minute.Towards the end of the game, skilled substitute Saad Ahmed dribbled from the right flank eliminating Kalisa Mao to cross a sharp ball past Cyrus based Edwin Ouon, allowing El Mugrabi to stroll the ball past Ndoli.This was the second loss to Libya in a space of nine months in a friendly match. In the last meeting between the two teams last year, Libya beat Rwanda 2-0 in Tunisia in a friendly as Amavubi were preparing for the first World Cup Brazil 2014 qualifier against Algeria, which Micho’s team lost 4-0.With Mali’s technical bench led by Patrice Carteron sitting in the stands, Rwanda’s loss to Libya was a low point for the national team which will face the West Africans in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on Sunday.Coach Milutin Sredojovic Micho said, “We lost thanks to one mistake, one piece of poor positioning and we gave the ball away to the opponent who punished us. I have seen who is able and unable to play Sunday’s crucial World Cup qualifier,”Rwanda is bottom with one point making this month’s qualifier against Mali so crucial to the bedraggled Amavubi. The group H encounter will take place at the Amahoro Stadium on Sunday. Benin leads the group with four points, one above second placed Mali and Algeria.

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Amavubi lose friendly ahead of Mali match