The significance of the Amavubi victory goes beyond the three points.
KIGALI – For a team that has waited 22 years to return to the Africa Cup of Nations, Rwanda could hardly have asked for a more convincing beginning.
The Amavubi stars defeated Liberia 3-1 at Amahoro Stadium on Friday evening, producing the goals, resilience and attacking intent that had been demanded of them before the start of their latest attempt to reach the continent’s biggest football tournament.
The night began with a goal almost as quickly as the home crowd had settled into its seats.
In the third minute, Abeddy Biramahire finished from Leroy Jacques Mickels’ delivery to give Rwanda an early lead and immediately put Liberia under pressure.
It was the sort of start Constantine had wanted from his players, and Rwanda continued to push forward rather than retreat behind their advantage. The reward came again in the 34th minute.
Amavubi stars were in good form on Friday evening.
Gilbert Byiringiro provided an assist and Leroy Jacques Mickels found the net to put Rwanda 2-0 ahead. Amahoro was already turning into the kind of home advantage the Amavubi had hoped for when thousands of supporters responded to the call to fill the stadium.
Five minutes after Rwanda’s second goal, Sylvanus Nimely pulled one back after the Amavubi failed to clear a corner, suddenly giving the visitors a way back into a contest that Rwanda had controlled for much of the opening half.
Though Liberia were not prepared to surrender the match, the response from the hosts was immediate and decisive.
Mickels brings the noise back
Rwanda continued to push forward rather than retreat behind their advantage.
Rwanda were awarded a penalty before half-time after Bonheur Mugisha’s effort struck a Liberian hand, and Joy-Lance Mickels took responsibility and converted from the spot.
In what came out to be one of the night’s most memorable moments, Mickels turned towards the supporters and performed Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous “Siuuu” celebration, sending another wave of noise through the stands.
For Mickels, the moment carried added significance because only days earlier, the forward had made history by becoming the first Rwandan to feature in the UEFA Champions League League Phase with Azerbaijani club Sabah FC.
He had also spoken openly about his desire to help Rwanda qualify for AFCON, and by half-time, Rwanda had scored three goals and were within 45 minutes of opening their campaign with a statement victory.
In the second half, Liberia came out looking for another way back and created several dangerous moments.
Liberia created several dangerous moments in the second half.
Sean Sherman went close with a header, while Murphy Dorley and Edward Ledlum also tested a Rwandan defence that suddenly found itself under sustained pressure. The Amavubi, however, survived.
Claude Niyomugabo produced one of the night’s most important interventions when he cleared a Liberian effort off the goal line, while goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari made a crucial save to deny Ledlum.
In the 60th minute, Sherman was shown a red card following a challenge on Mugisha, reducing the visitors to 10 men and allowing Rwanda to regain greater control of the closing stages.
There was still time for Rwanda to threaten a fourth, with Leroy Jacques striking the woodwork after another attack involving Niyomugabo, but the three goals already on the scoreboard proved sufficient.
The long wait has begun again
President Paul Kagame watched from the stands as the Amavubi turned the occasion into one of their most memorable home victories in recent years.
The significance of the victory goes beyond the three points.
Rwanda have not played at AFCON since their historic debut in 2004. Their most recent qualification campaign ended painfully when they finished level on points with Benin but missed out on the finals.
That history explains why Friday’s result mattered so much to the supporters inside the stadium. More than 60 percent of the stadium’s 45,000 capacity had already been filled before kick-off, with hundreds of Liberian supporters also contributing to the atmosphere.
President Paul Kagame watched from the stands as the Amavubi turned the occasion into one of their most memorable home victories in recent years.
Coach Stephen Constantine had repeatedly called on supporters to create an atmosphere for the team, while captain Djihad Bizimana said before the match that the time had come to give Rwandans something to celebrate.
They delivered on the first night.
Coach Stephen Constantine (L) shakes hands with his opponent after the game.
But for the Coach, the victory was not a reason to pretend that the work is finished. Despite the three goals and three points, he admitted after the match that he was not completely satisfied with the performance and believed there were still several things the team needed to fix.
Rwanda had fewer than three days with the full squad before the match and had not played together since March, while the team had also missed the opportunity to have a preparation match in June.
That lack of preparation, Constantine said, made the result particularly important, but he also sees the current team as part of something much bigger. “We are trying to build a team for the next five, 10 years,” Constantine said after the match.
The coach, who returned to Rwanda with a determination to reshape the country’s football structure, said the national team is still a developing side and cannot be expected to become the finished product overnight.
Rwanda’s Amavubi stars produced a stunning performance of Friday evening against Liberia.
He wants the work to extend beyond the senior team, with stronger pathways for young players and a foundation capable of producing talent for years to come.
Constantine said he had already presented his plans to the Ministry of Sports and the Rwanda Football Federation and believes the rebuilding process must involve the wider football community.
“This is not a one-man band. This is not about me,” he said, calling for the media, football authorities, government and others to contribute to the process.
Constantine said his ambition is not limited to the current AFCON campaign. If Rwanda stays the course and invests in developing its players, he says, the country could have teams that are difficult to beat across all age groups within the next two to three years.
For a country that has spent much of the last two decades waiting for another AFCON appearance, Friday offered a glimpse of what that rebuilding process might eventually produce.
From a memorable night to a bigger test
Rwanda now travel to Praia to face Cape Verde on September 29, knowing that the road to AFCON 2027 will become considerably more demanding away from home.
Constantine is under no illusion about what awaits. Cape Verde have players competing in top leagues around the world, and the coach expects a very difficult contest.
Yet he insists Rwanda will not travel simply to defend their opening victory. “We will go there, we will fight and we will give everything we have,” he said.
The most encouraging element of Friday night perhaps is that the 3-1 victory was important, but it was also the beginning of a team whose coach believes can grow into something much stronger.
Biramahire gave them the start, Leroy Jacques strengthened it, Joy-Lance Mickels supplied the penalty and the “Siuuu”, while Niyomugabo and Ntwari helped preserve the advantage when Liberia threatened to spoil the party.
After 22 years of waiting, Rwanda’s latest AFCON dream has finally begun, and it has begun loudly.
