Djibouti Defeats Amavubi in Quest for “CHAN 2024” Qualification

By The Inspirer.

The Rwandan national football team, “Amavubi,” suffered a 1-0 defeat to Djibouti in the first leg of the preliminary round, as they embarked on their journey to qualify for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) set to take place in January 2025. The match took place this Sunday, October 27, 2024, at Amahoro Stadium in Remera.

The game started calmly on both sides, with most of the action centered in the midfield. At the 18th minute, Amavubi had a promising opportunity when Arsene Tuyisenge broke down the left side and crossed the ball to Ramadhan Niyibizi, but Djibouti’s defense intervened. Up until the 32nd minute, both teams sought chances to score but failed to create any concrete opportunities.

In the 33rd minute, Amavubi had a golden chance to open the scoring with a play involving Olivier Dushimimana. Alone with one Djibouti defender, Dushimimana reached the penalty area and shot towards the far post, but the ball went wide. Another opportunity came for Amavubi in the 40th minute when Ramadhan Niyibizi struck from around 25 meters, deflecting off a Djibouti player and resulting in a corner. The corner, taken by Kevin Muhire, found Osee Iyabivuze’s head, but the attempt went off target. The first half ended in a goalless draw.

The second half began with a substitution for Amavubi, as Gilbert Mugisha replaced Ramadhan Niyibizi. This change added intensity to Amavubi’s attack, especially down the left side through Mugisha. In the 50th minute, after receiving a long ball from Clement Niyigena, Mugisha took a powerful shot in the penalty area, narrowly missing the Djibouti goal.

Another substitution followed in the 61st minute, with Fitina Omborenga replaced by Gilbert Byingiro. In the 66th minute, Muzungu struck a powerful shot that Djibouti’s goalkeeper Sulait Luyima saved, leading to a corner that yielded no result.

Djibouti broke the deadlock in the 79th minute with a goal by Gabriel Dadzie. Entering from the right side, he outmaneuvered Amavubi’s goalkeeper Patience Niyongira at the near post.

The final 10 minutes saw Amavubi dominate possession, creating a corner in the 88th minute, where Didier Ndayishimiye’s header struck the crossbar just before the fourth official added four minutes of stoppage time. In the 90+2 minute, Djibouti nearly doubled their lead when Ahmed Omar’s shot was blocked by an Amavubi defender.

The match ended with Djibouti winning 1-0, marking their first-ever victory over Rwanda. The second leg is scheduled for Thursday, October 31, 2024, at 6 PM at Amahoro Stadium. The winning team from this round between Rwanda and Djibouti will face the winner of the South Sudan-Kenya match in the second qualifying round, set to be played in December.

The final CHAN 2024 tournament will be held across Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya from February 1 to 28, 2025.

Starting Lineup for Amavubi: Niyongira Patience, Fitina Ombolenga, Niyomugabo Claude, Niyigena Clement, Nshimiyimana Yunusu, Ruboneka Jean Bosco, Muhire Kevin, Niyibizi Ramadhan, Dushimimana Olivier, Tuyisenge Arsene, and Iyabivuze Osee.