{"id":52432,"date":"2024-12-29T08:24:41","date_gmt":"2024-12-29T08:24:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/rwanda-s-chan-2024-qualification-hangs-imbalance-despite-south-sudan-win\/"},"modified":"2024-12-30T19:41:02","modified_gmt":"2024-12-30T19:41:02","slug":"rwanda-s-chan-2024-qualification-hangs-imbalance-despite-south-sudan-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/rwanda-s-chan-2024-qualification-hangs-imbalance-despite-south-sudan-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda\u2019s CHAN 2024 qualification hangs imbalance despite South Sudan win."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The match began cautiously, with both teams focused on maintaining their defensive structures. South Sudan, known for their resilience, matched Rwanda\u2019s intensity in the early exchanges.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the slow start, Ars\u00e8ne Tuyisenge tested South Sudan\u2019s goalkeeper Juma Jenaro with a direct shot in the 10th minute, earning Rwanda their first corner of the match.<\/p>\n<p>Amavubi&#8217;s midfield trio\u2014Jean Bosco Ruboneka, Gilbert Mugisha, and Jean Claude Niyomugabo\u2014controlled the tempo, forcing several saves from Jenaro. Didier Mugisha came close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute, missing a rebound from the post with only the goalkeeper to beat.<\/p>\n<p>As the first half progressed, Rwanda continued to dominate possession, but South Sudan\u2019s defense held firm. In the 35th minute, Gilbert Mugisha\u2019s free kick struck the woodwork, and Didier Mugisha was quick to capitalize on the rebound, tapping the ball past Jenaro to give Rwanda a 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n<p>Rwanda had a golden opportunity to double their advantage in the dying moments of the first half. A South Sudanese defender handled the ball in the penalty area, and the referee awarded a penalty. However, captain Kevin Muhire\u2019s effort was saved by Jenaro, leaving the score at 1-0 heading into halftime.<\/p>\n<p>The second half began with Rwanda attacking with renewed vigor. Muhire redeemed himself in the 55th minute, weaving through South Sudan\u2019s defense to slot home Amavubi\u2019s second goal. The home crowd erupted in celebration as Rwanda seemed poised to secure a convincing win.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-79501 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/field_15377_24122820091083912.jpg\" alt=\"Rwanda\u2019s CHAN 2024 qualification hangs imbalance despite South Sudan win.\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Despite trailing 2-0, South Sudan refused to back down. Substitute David Sebit capitalized on a defensive lapse in the 81st minute, firing a powerful shot past Adolphe Hakizimana to make it 2-1. Amavubi pushed forward in search of a third goal, but missed chances from Ruboneka and others to keep the score line unchanged.<\/p>\n<p>The Tunisian referee added three minutes of stoppage time, but neither side could alter the outcome. Rwanda\u2019s victory marked a valiant effort but fell short of the desired aggregate result, leaving fans both hopeful and uncertain about their team\u2019s CHAN 2024 prospects.<\/p>\n<p>{{Aggregate deadlock and CECAFA rankings}}<\/p>\n<p>The 2-1 win brought the aggregate score between Rwanda and South Sudan to 4-4, but South Sudan was eliminated on the away goals rule after conceding more goals at home in the first leg, which ended 3-2 in Juba.<\/p>\n<p>In the CECAFA region rankings, Sudan emerged as the top team with six points after a dominant 4-1 aggregate victory over Ethiopia. Rwanda and South Sudan each finished with three points, while Burundi remained at zero points with their second match against Uganda still pending.<\/p>\n<p>The CECAFA region is allotted four slots in the CHAN finals. Three of these are automatically taken by the host nations\u2014Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania\u2014leaving only one slot for the remaining countries to contest.<\/p>\n<p>With Sudan securing the top spot, Amavubi\u2019s fate now lies in the hands of CAF, which is yet to decide on replacements for Libya and Tunisia, who withdrew from the tournament.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-79502 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/field_15379_24122820095819238.jpg\" alt=\"Rwanda will have to await CAF&#039;s decision to know whether they will play in next year&#039;s CHAN competitions.\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>{{Hopes for CAF\u2019s decision}}<\/p>\n<p>Although Rwanda missed out on direct qualification, there is still a glimmer of hope. CAF must fill the void left by Libya and Tunisia\u2019s withdrawal, and Rwanda could be considered as one of the replacement teams.<br \/>\nCaretaker coach Jimmy Mulisa, who stepped in for head coach Frank Spittler during his holiday absence, expressed mixed feelings after the match.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe boys gave everything on the pitch today. We are proud of the win, but unfortunately, the aggregate result was not in our favor. Now we wait and hope for good news from CAF,\u201d Mulisa said.<\/p>\n<p>Amavubi\u2019s victory over South Sudan showcased the team\u2019s potential, with standout performances from players like Kevin Muhire and Didier Mugisha. However, the missed penalty and defensive lapses highlighted areas that need improvement if Rwanda is to compete at the highest level.<\/p>\n<p>As the team awaits CAF\u2019s decision, fans remain optimistic that Rwanda will join the CHAN 2024 tournament, set to be hosted in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.<\/p>\n<p>{{Final Standings in CECAFA Region CHAN Qualifiers:}}<\/p>\n<p>\u2022\tSudan: 6 points<br \/>\n\u2022\tRwanda: 3 points<br \/>\n\u2022\tSouth Sudan: 3 points<br \/>\n\u2022\tBurundi: 0 points (pending second match against Uganda)<\/p>\n<p>With the CHAN 2024 finals fast approaching, Amavubi\u2019s journey is far from over. Their spirited performance against South Sudan is a testament to their resilience, and should CAF grant them a spot, Rwanda will undoubtedly aim to make a strong impression on the regional stage.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-79499 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/field_15377_24122820091038921.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-79500 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/field_15377_24122820091032198.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-79503 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/field_15379_24122820095821893.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-79504 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/field_15379_24122820095891823.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-79505 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/field_15377_24122820091021983.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-79506 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/field_15377_24122820091029318.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rwanda\u2019s Amavubi Stars clinched a 2-1 victory over South Sudan in the second leg of the CHAN 2024 qualifiers on Saturday at Amahoro Stadium. However, the win was not enough to secure direct qualification for the CHAN finals as Sudan topped the CECAFA region rankings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":2000079498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[3135],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-52432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-sam-k-nkurunziza-2"],"bylines":[{"id":3135,"name":"Sam K Nkurunziza","slug":"sam-k-nkurunziza-2","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"contributors":[{"id":3135,"name":"Sam K Nkurunziza","slug":"sam-k-nkurunziza-2","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"featured_image":{"id":2000079498,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-183.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-183.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-183.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-183.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-183.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-183.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52432"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52432\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000079498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52432"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=52432"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=52432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}