Amavubi’s Ali Niyonzima (left) holds off a Nigerian player during their Group C match at Grand Stade de Tanger. Courtesy.Monday
Rwanda 0-0 Nigeria
Libya 3-0 Equatorial Guinea
Next Fixtures
Friday, January 19
Rwanda vs Equatorial Guinea
(Grand Stade de Tanger, 21:30)
Tuesday, January 23
Rwanda vs Libya (Grand Stade de Tanger, 21:00)
Rwanda held Nigeria to a goalless draw in their first game of Group C of the Total Africa Nations Championship (CHAN), played at Grand Stade de Tanger in Morocco on Monday night.
Rwanda’s Amavubi started the better side but not before long, the Super Eagles of Nigeria took control of the game.
Amavubi head coach Antoine Hey started upfront Bernabe Mubumbyi and Abeddy Biramahire but the duo’s impact was arguably below par, at least in the first 50 minutes.
In the ninth minute, Sunday Faleye of the Super Eagles hit the woodwork with a header that took Rwanda’s goalkeeper, Eric ‘Bakame’ Ndayishimiye by surprise.
Ndayishimiye who was making his 44th cap for Amavubi, pulled off three great saves to keep Rwanda into the game.
In the 57th minute, Okogbue Kalu managed to put the ball behind Ndayishimiye’s net but he was ruled offside.
Two minutes later, Nigeria had another chance but Stephen Eze’s header went wide.
Amavubi made two significant attempts through Eric Rutanga and Bernabe Mubumbyi in the first half but both efforts produced nothing.
Ali Rabiu of the Super Eagles had another opportunity to score after Ndayishimiye saved Osas’s cross, however his shot went wide.
Later in the game, Justin Mico came on for Mubumbyi during the second half to reinforce the striking line while Dominique Savio Nshuti replaced Abeddy Biramahire.
Nshuti and Mico gave the opponent’s defence a hard time but this yielded no result as they failed to see the back of the net.
Mico was later replaced by Amran Nshimiyimana after an injury.
Altogether, Rwanda earned three corners in the game against nine that went to their West African opponents.
Meanwhile, in the other game of Group C, Libya thrashed Equatorial Guinea 3-0, a victory that put Libya top of group C with three points.
Rwanda and Nigeria have one point each while Equatorial Guinea is bottom of the table.
The next game for Amavubi will be against Equatorial Guinea on Friday this week and later face Libya on Tuesday next week.
Both games will be played at Stade de Tanger.
Source: The New Times.