Rwanda is monitoring the possibility of hosting Amavubi’s home fixtures at Huye stadium ahead of the forthcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers which kick off in June. The venue is so far the only option that Rwanda is counting on if the country is to stand a chance to host matches of such a nature following delays in renovating both the Amahoro stadium and Kigali stadium. There is no stadium in the capital that meets the standards required by the Confederation of African Football (CAF)after an inspection that was conducted by officials of body in April last year. The officials cited the perimeter fence, state of the pitch, and parking lot as areas that needed to be sorted out. With Amahoro stadium set for renovation soon while Kigali stadium doesn’t meet the criteria to host CAF competitive matches, Times Sport has established that local football governing body (Ferwafa) has proposed Huye stadium to host Amavubi’s home matches ahead of the qualifiers. Another inspection team from World Football governing body (FIFA) led by Sports Minister Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju and other officials from the ministry of Infrastructure visited Huye stadium a fortnight ago to inspect the stadium to assess if it meets CAF requirements. According to Ferwafa Secretary General Henry Muhire, a recent inspection team informed the federation that Huye Stadium needs some small renovations compared to other stadiums in the country, so as to be given green light to host international matches. Some key aspects of the facility that were recommended to be done at the stadium include media area, changing room, public toilets and bathrooms for players. The Ministries of Sports and Infrastructure are running against the clock to do the works at the stadium as soon as possible to ensure the national team plays the AFCON qualifiers in the country. “The FIFA technical told us there has been some improvement in works being done at Huye Stadium and we are also doing our best to get the works done at the facility in due time. The works are ongoing and, at this stage, we hope the stadium will be allowed to host Amavubi’s home games,” Muhire said. Rwanda is pooled in the same Group L of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers alongside champions Senegal, Mozambique and Benin. The Amavubi will begin their quest for a ticket to the AFCON finals on May 30 before playing their next game on June 14. The third and fourth match days will take place between September 19-27 while game five and six will be played between March 20 and 28. The winners and runners-up in each group, except H, will immediately qualify for 24-team finals due to be played from June 23 and July 23 in Ivory Coast.
