March 24 Rwanda vs Mozambique March 30 Cameroon vs Rwanda Haruna Niyonzima, skipper of the national football team, has called upon Rwandans to show support and believe in the team ahead of two crucial matches in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers this month. Rwanda hosts Mozambique on March 24, at Kigali Stadium, before playing away to Cameroon on March 30. With only two points after four match rounds, Amavubi must win their last two fixtures to stand a chance of playing the AFCON competition for the first time since 2004. “Rwandans should believe in us. We want to win for them, for the country. We have also been disappointed, but we are all in this together and we need to stay together to get where we want to be,” said Niyonzima. In spite of playing at home, Amavubi will face Mozambique as underdogs, yet, the vastly experienced midfielder is not ready to throw in the towel. He insisted, “Everything is possible in football. Even though Mozambique is second in our group, it could change if we win the game. That is why we need the (moral) backing of Rwandans.” Due to Covid-19, it is expected that the match will be played behind closed doors. Meanwhile, professional players have started joining Amavubi camp, with Greece-based Steven Rubanguka being the latest addition following his arrival on Wednesday night. Haruna and centre-back Salomon Nirisarike were the first to arrive on Monday. It is expected that Yannick Mukunzi (Sandviken/Sweden) and Meddie Kagere (Simba/Tanzania) will jet in this Friday, whereas Kenya-based goalkeeper Emery Mvuyekure will arrive on Sunday, March 21. Cameroon top Group F with 10 points, Mozambique and Cape Verde are second and third, respectively, with four points apiece, while Rwanda is bottom with two points. Cameroon will host the rescheduled AFCON 2020 finals tournament in January 2022.
