Cranes-Amavubi tie friendly shifted to Nov

THE Fifa international friendly game between Rwanda and Uganda Cranes has been shifted to November 16 at Namboole Stadium at 5pm.

Amavubi head Coach Eric Nshimiyimana said on Tuesday that, “the game has been pushed to November 16 by our Ugandan counterparts and we believe it won’t affect our plans at all,”

Nshimiyimana also stated that Amavubi team will join camp in the evening of November 12 after the ninth round of the Turbo King Football league which has been brought closer to give ample time to the national team to fully prepare for the upcoming Cecafa Challenge Cup which kicks on November 27 to December 11 in Nairobi, Kenya.

“We found it suitable together with the Ferwafa officials to bring closer the league fixtures which were initially slated for November 24 in order to get enough time to prepare te national team without releasing players back to their clubs,” added Nshimiyimana.

The former APR coach is expected to summon skipper Haruna Niyonzima and defender Salomon Nirisarike for the Cranes tie.

Niyonzima who features for Tanzanian League champions Young Africans has been in good form, while Royal Antweerp FC (Belgium) defender Nirisarike will also be making a comeback to the team.

A week after the friendly, the Rwanda which has only won the regional title once in 1999 will travel to Nairobi for the Cecafa Championships.

Cranes coach continued preparations with two training sessions over the weekend.

Head Coach, Milutin Sedrojevic has insisted that the players who will make the cut to the final squad have to be committed with a genuine cause for inclusion.

“I will use a committed brand of players, those who are ready to play with their souls, hearts and legs”, Micho is quoted to have told Ugandan media.

Cranes’s Iguma doubtful 

Denis Iguma is out of Uganda Crane’s international friendly against as he faces a battle to be fit for the regional championships.

The SC Victoria University skipper, last month also missed two games against Egypt in Cairo that the Cranes lost 2-0 and 3-0 respectively.

The full back has not returned to training since October. Cranes’ medical staff have yet to rule Iguma out of the tournament, but he is understood to be ‘touch and go’ for the clashes in the event.

If Iguma fails to prove his fitness, Micho will turn to either Nicholas Wadada or Yusuf Mukisa to fill the gap.

Meanwhile Francis Olaki, Brian Majwega and Yunus Ssentamu are also doubtful for Rwanda game due to injury and sickness.

The two teams were meant to face-off last month, but the Ugandan FA called off the game because of logistical issues.

 In the first friendly match played in Kigali in February between the two sides, the Cranes and Rwanda’s Amavubi settled for a 2-2 draw.

Micho was in charge of the Amavubi Stars between 2011 and April 2013 when he was sacked by the Rwandan federation over poor results. He was appointed Cranes coach a month later. The 44-year-old Serbian has presided over 10 games since taking charge, winning five and losing the other five.

Rwanda is ranked 129th (with 242 points) in the FIFA ratings while Uganda remains the highest ranked nation in the entire East and Central Africa region on 84th (on 431 points).

Cranes-Amavubi tie friendly shifted to Nov