National coach Grace Nyinawumuntu has named preliminary squad of 36 players to start preparations for CAF Africa Women’s Championship qualifiers against Kenya this year in February.
The race to the 2014 finals, which will be staged in Namibia, will see Rwanda take on Kenya for the very first time in the history of women’s football as both teams try to qualify for the ninth edition of the continental competition.
Rwanda will host Kenya in the first leg on the weekend of February 13-15 in Kigali, according to the fixtures. A record 25 teams will vie for the seven places up for grabs to join hosts Namibia for the finals scheduled October 11-25. Nyinawumuntu, 31, expressed optimism that her team will overcome the Kenya hurdle.
The second leg is scheduled for February 28 through March 2 in Nairobi, Kenya with the winner proceeding to the next round to face the winner in the Nigeria/Sierra Leone fixture.
Rwanda’s last competitive game was in 2009 – against Uganda – in the preliminary round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers which they lost 1-0 in Kigali.
The second and final round first leg matches will be played from May 23-25 and the second leg matches between June 7 and 8 to decide who join Namibia for the finals in Windhoek.
Equatorial Guinea won the last edition after beating South Africa 4-0 in the final, while Cameroon edged Nigeria 1-0 to claim third place.
Equatorial Guinea, runners-up South Africa and bronze medalists Cameroon will only join the qualifiers quest in the second round.
Team selected
- INGABIRE NYIRABASHYITSI Judith [AS KIGALI]
- UWIZEYIMANA Helene [AS KIGALI]
- MUKAD– USENGE Janviere [AS KIGALI]
- UMUHOZA Appoline [INYEMERA FC]
- UWISEZERANO Bellancille [ESIR FC]
- NIBAGWIRE Sifa Gloria [AS KIGALI]
- MUKAMANA Clémentine [AS KIGALI]
- UWAMAHORO M Claire [AS KIGALI]
- AYINGENEYE Clémentine [AS KIGALI]
- UMULISA Edith [AS KIGALI]
- MURORUNKWERE Claudine [RAMBURA]
- UWAMAHORO Gloriose [RAMBURA]
- MUKESHIMANA Jeanette [INYEMERA FC]
- KITUMAINE Diane [THE WINNERS]
- UMUTONI Dada [INYEMERA FC]
- KALIMBA Alice [AS KIGALI]
- UWAMAHIRWE Chadia [AS KIGALI]
- NIYOMUGABA Sophie [AS KIGALI]
- NIYOYITA Alice [KAMONYI FC]
- ABAYO Mediatrice [KAMONYI FC]
- MUKASHEMA Albertine [INYEMERA FC]
- UWINEZA Nadia [AS KIGALI]
- UWAMAHORO M CLAIRE [INYEMERA FC]
- MUKAMALIZA Yvonne [INYEMERA FC]
- NTAGISANIMANA Saida [AS KIGALI]
- ABIMANA Djamila [KAMONYI FC]
- IRIRIKUMUTIMA Agathe [LES LIONNES]
- NYIRAHAFASHIMANA M Jeanne [AS KIGALI]
- IBANGARYE Anne Marie [AS KIGALI]
- IMANIZABAYO Florence [KAMONYI FC]
- VUMIRIYA [THE WINNERS]
- UMULISA M Claire [THE WINNERS]
- KANKINDI Fatuma [INYEMERA FC]
- NIRERE Anatolie [INYEMERA FC]
- UWIMANA Grace [RAMBURA]
- IRAGENA Oscarie
Source:Times Sport
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