Rwanda national football team facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | Amavubi (The Wasps) | ||
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| Association | Rwanda Football Federation | ||
| Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
| Sub-confederation | CECAFA (East Africa) | ||
| Head coach | Torsten Spittler | ||
| Captain | Bizimana Djihad | ||
| Most caps | Haruna Niyonzima (112) | ||
| Top scorer | Olivier Karekezi (24) | ||
| Home stadium | Amahoro Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | RWA | ||
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| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 135  2 (7 February 2019) |
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| Highest | 64 (March 2015) | ||
| Lowest | 178 (July 1999) | ||
| Elo ranking | |||
| Current | 144  8 (3 March 2019) |
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| Highest | 95 (October 2008) | ||
| Lowest | 150 (July 1996) | ||
| First international | |||
 Burundi 6–2 Rwanda  (Libreville, Gabon; 29 June 1976) |
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| Biggest win | |||
 Rwanda 9–0 Djibouti  (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; 13 December 2007) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
 Cameroon 5–0 Rwanda (Libreville, Gabon; 7 July 1976)  Zaire 6–1 Rwanda (Gabon; 12 July 1976)  Tunisia 5–0 Rwanda (Tunis, Tunisia; 10 April 1983)  Uganda 5–0 Rwanda (Kampala, Uganda; 1 August 1998) |
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| Africa Cup of Nations | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2004) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2004) | ||
| Afro-Asian Games | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2003) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2003) | ||
The Rwanda national football team is a group of football players who represent Rwanda in international matches. They are also known as Amavubi, which means The Wasps in Kinyarwanda. The team is managed by the Rwandese Association Football Federation. They play their home games at the Stade Amahoro in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda.
The team is part of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). This is the main football organization for African countries. They are also members of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA). This group looks after football in East and Central Africa. Rwanda has never played in the FIFA World Cup. However, they did play in the Africa Cup of Nations once, in 2004.
Contents
History of Rwandan Football
Rwanda made history by playing in its first ever Africa Cup of Nations in 2004. This was a very exciting time for the team. In their first game, they lost 2–1 to Tunisia. But they quickly bounced back!
They earned their first point in the competition by drawing 1–1 with Guinea. Then, Rwanda won their final group match. They beat DR Congo 1–0. Even with this win, they didn't move on to the next round. This was because Guinea and Tunisia also drew their match.
Team Look and Nickname
Team Uniforms
In 2001, Rwanda changed its national flag. Because of this, the football team also changed the colors of their uniforms. Their home kit now has a yellow jersey, blue shorts, and green socks. For away games, they wear either all white or all blue.
Adidas has often made their uniforms since 2001. For a few years, from 2004 to 2009, L-sport was their uniform maker. In 2015, AMS, an Australian company, started providing their kits.
Team Nicknames
The official name for the team used by FIFA is RWA. This is a short way to say Rwanda. Other football groups like CAF and CECAFA also use RWA.
Locally, the team was sometimes called the RR. This stood for Repubulika y'u Rwanda or République du Rwanda, which are the country's official names. But the most common and popular name for the team is Amavubi. This means The Wasps, and it's a cool nickname!
Recent Matches and Results
Here are some of the recent games the Rwanda national football team has played. This section shows their results from the last year and any upcoming matches.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
- 15 November 2023: Rwanda drew 0–0 with Zimbabwe in a World Cup qualifier.
- 21 November 2023: Rwanda won 2–0 against South Africa in a World Cup qualifier. Goals were scored by Nshuti and Mugisha.
- 22 March 2024: Rwanda drew 0–0 with Botswana in a friendly match.
- 25 March 2024: Rwanda won 2–0 against Madagascar in a friendly match.
- 6 June 2024: Rwanda lost 1–0 to Benin in a World Cup qualifier.
- 11 June 2024: Rwanda won 1–0 against Lesotho in a World Cup qualifier, with a goal from Kwizera.
- 4 September 2024: Rwanda drew 1–1 with Libya in an AFCON qualifier. Nshuti scored for Rwanda.
- 10 September 2024: Rwanda drew 0–0 with Nigeria in an AFCON qualifier.
- 11 October 2024: Rwanda lost 3–0 to Benin in an AFCON qualifier.
- 15 October 2024: Rwanda won 2–1 against Benin in an AFCON qualifier.
- 10 November 2024: Rwanda lost 1–0 to Libya in an AFCON qualifier.
- 18 November 2024: Rwanda is scheduled to play Nigeria in an AFCON qualifier.
Coaches of the Team
The Rwanda national football team has had many coaches over the years. These coaches help train the players and decide the team's strategies. The current coach is Torsten Spittler from Germany. Some other coaches have included Ratomir Dujković, who led the team to their only Africa Cup of Nations appearance, and Stephen Constantine.
Key Players and Records
Current Team Squad
The team's current squad includes talented players from Rwanda and other countries. These players are chosen to represent Rwanda in important matches. The captain of the team is Djihad Bizimana. Other important players include Fiacre Ntwari (goalkeeper), Fitina Omborenga (defender), and Innocent Nshuti (forward).
Players with Most Games Played
Some players have played many games for Rwanda. These players are very experienced.
- Haruna Niyonzima has played the most games, with 112 appearances.
- Jean-Baptiste Mugiraneza is second with 89 games.
- Fitina Omborenga is still playing and is among the top players for appearances.
- Djihad Bizimana is also still active and has played many matches.
Top Goal Scorers
These players have scored the most goals for Rwanda.
- Olivier Karekezi is the top scorer with 24 goals.
- Jacques Tuyisenge is second with 16 goals.
- Meddie Kagere has scored 15 goals and is still playing for the team.
- Other top scorers include Jean Lomami and Labama Bokota.
Rwanda's Tournament History
FIFA World Cup Appearances
Rwanda has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup many times. The World Cup is the biggest football tournament in the world. Rwanda has not yet made it to the final tournament. They have played many qualification matches over the years.
Africa Cup of Nations History
The Africa Cup of Nations is the main football tournament for African countries. Rwanda has played in this tournament once.
- In 2004, Rwanda reached the group stage. They won one game, drew one, and lost one. This was a great achievement for the team!
- Rwanda has tried to qualify for other tournaments but has not made it since 2004.
African Nations Championship History
The African Nations Championship (CHAN) is another important tournament in Africa. Only players who play in their home country's league can participate. Rwanda has appeared in this tournament four times:
- In 2011, they reached the group stage.
- In 2016, Rwanda hosted the tournament and reached the quarter-finals. This was their best performance.
- In 2018, they reached the group stage.
- In 2020, they reached the quarter-finals again.
Team Achievements
CECAFA Cup Success
The CECAFA Cup is a regional tournament for East and Central African countries. Rwanda has done very well in this competition:
- They won the CECAFA Cup once in 1999. This was a big victory for the team!
- They have been runners-up six times, meaning they reached the final but didn't win.
- They also finished in third place four times.
See also
- Rwanda national under-17 football team
