Rwanda preparing for Cote d'Ivoire match

Rwanda's national soccer team are in final preparations for its 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Cote d'Ivoire, an official said on Monday in Kigali. Rwanda's national squad stay at the bottom of CAN 2012 group H qualifiers with 3 points, behind Burundi (4 points), Benin (4 points) and Cote d'Ivoire (9 points). The secretary general of Rwanda's football association, Jules Kalisa said the national team was more ready for the match scheduled on September 3 in Kigali. "The team is currently engaged in intensive training and power to make the nation proud," Kalisa told Xinhua on the telephone. "I must say that we are ready to play Cote d'Ivoire national soccer team and give them tight competition in the return match," he added. Rwanda will play Cote d'Ivoire without its key strikers such as Olivier Karekezi (playing for the Swedish division 1 league) who has not been selected like some of his Rwandan fellows from European leagues, following an alleged "poor performance", according to Ghanaian head coach Sellas Tetteh. The 28 players called up by Tetteh include four members of the U-17 side: goalkeeper Marcel Nzarora and strikers Charles Tibingana, Emile Bayisenge and Andrew Butera.