Rwanda will open their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Liberia at Amahoro Stadium on Friday, September 25, with head coach Stephen Constantine targeting three points at home before a demanding trip to Cape Verde.
Kickoff is at 6 p.m. in Kigali. Amavubi are seeking their first AFCON finals appearance since 2004.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Constantine said the squad had enjoyed three or four good days of preparation. He brought several locally based players into camp early to assess them and said the atmosphere remained as positive as it had been after the FIFA Series.
Constantine expects the Amahoro crowd to give Rwanda an advantage. Liberia coach Mohammed Adil Erradi has previously worked in the country, but Constantine said that familiarity would only tell him so much about the team he will face.
Djihad Bizimana the team captain said the players had learned from past campaigns and were focused on this one. “This game is like a key to our competition,” he said, adding that a win would build confidence in Rwanda’s bid to qualify. He urged supporters to come to Amahoro and back the team.
Constantine said players travel from across the world to represent Rwanda, taking time away from their club careers. He said their welfare must be a priority as the squad prepares for the journey to Cape Verde, which he estimated at 14 hours.
“They put their careers on the line for Amavubi because of their country,” Constantine said. “They are doing it for free, but they shouldn’t.”
Constantine then turned to the deeper problem. Nearly six months into the job, he said Rwanda’s failure to reach AFCON for more than 20 years showed that parts of the football system needed to change.
“We’re going to change that by going back to basics,” he said, calling for stronger grassroots programmes and better training for youth coaches. Development must begin when children are as young as six, rather than 15, he said. He pointed to the appointment of a youth development officer as an early step.
“The revolution has begun, and you should be there,” Constantine concluded.
