The She Amavubi
Marie Grace Nyinawumuntu, the newly appointed head coach of the Rwanda women’s national football team, She Amavubi has summoned a 25-woman squad that will face Uganda in the first round of the Olympic Games Qualifiers.
Rayon Sports and AS Kigali Women Football Clubs have the most players in the national team squad, each with seven players, followed by Fatima with four, Kamonyi with three, and APAER with two, while Inyemera and Bugesera each have one player.
The team’s training camp will begin on Wednesday, June 28, and will stay at the Hotel Villa Portofino while exercising at Kigali Pele Stadium.
Rwanda will square off against Uganda over two legs, with the first leg scheduled for July 12 at St Mary’s Stadium-Kitende in Uganda, while the second-leg game will be held at Kigali Pele Stadium on July 18.
The winner of the two legs will face Cameroon, who will not participate in the first round of the Olympics Games Qualifiers, in the next round.
The first round of qualifiers will feature 18 teams competing in a knockout home-and-away format to advance to the next round. Nine teams that will progress will be joined by the seven highest-ranked teams at the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations.
They will face one another in a knockout format over home and away matches until they find two national teams that will represent Africa at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, which will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, in Paris, France.
Rwanda women’s national football team has never qualified for the Olympic Games.
Nyinawumuntu, who has been the technical director of Paris Saint-Germain Academy Rwanda since April 2021, was appointed Rwanda women’s national football team head coach one week ago and will be assisted by Théogenie Mukamusonera, AS Kigali WFC head coach.
She will lead the national team for a second time, following a two-year stint with the team from 2014 to 2016.
Squad list:
Goalkeepers: Mutuyimana Elisabeth (APAER WFC), Angeline Ndakimana (AS Kigali WFC), Diane Uwamahoro (AS Kigali WFC).
Defenders: Djamila Abimana (Kamonyi WFC), Joselyne Mukantaganira (Rayon Sports WFC), Lydia Uzayisenga (APAER WFC), Safi Uwanyirigira (Rayon Sports WFC), Louise Maniraguha (AS Kigali WFC), Andorsene Uwase (Rayon Sports WFC), Providence Mukahirwa (Fatima WFC), Gloria Sifa Nibagirwe (AS Kigali WFC).
Midfielders: Dorothee Mukeshimana (Rayon Sports WFC), Illuminate Nzayituriki (Fatima WFC), Dudja Uwase Umwali (Fatima WFC), Leoncie Tugeriwacu (Inyemera WFC), Zawadi Usanase (AS Kigali WFC), Yvonne Umuhoza (Kamonyi WFC), Alice Kalimba (Rayon Sports WFC), Alodia Kayitesi (AS Kigali WFC), Angelique Umuhoza (Rayon Sports WFC).
Forwards: Yvonne Dukuzumuremyi (Bugesera WFC), Florence Imanizabayo (Rayon Sports WFC), Delphine Irumva (Fatima WFC), Liberathe Nibagwire (AS Kigali WFC), Emerance Niyonshuti (Kamonyi WFC).
