As the CAF African Nations Championships enter it’s penultimate knockout stage, with twelve days of group stages, boys have been separated from men with the quarterfinals that begin tomorrow throwing the dice down the derby dais.

The country will however shifting their attention to the big match tomorrow between Rwanda’s Amavubi against fierce rivals and neighbour’s The DRC. The match will be played at 3pm at the National Stadium.

The mouthwatering rivalry between the two Nations has attracted several fans forcing the Local Organizing Committee to alter the gate charges with the lowest ticket going for Rwf 1000 and the highest Rwf 20,000.

For the spectators the mood is as euphoric as it is jittery. It is really big much. One fan could not hide his joy when soka25east caught up with him just at the training ground adjacent to Amahoro. Speaking in French, I had to get a translator who apparently spoke fluent Kiawah I’ll and was of Congo origin. “I am happy the derby has come at a right time and it’s good it will be at Amahoro, if they took it to Umuganda we could have lost it but with Amahoro, we have to win”

Already the Amavubi through their official Twitter handle warned the game was a sellout and urged fans to turn up in large numbers to support Amavubi.

Amavubi head coach 30yr old John McKinsey said the game will be intense and he will be relying on fans and maximizing home advantage.

Thousands of Congolese both leaving in the country and those travelling are expected to rush for the tickets pitting this encounter a real derby.

Yesterday at Village Urugwiro the team was received by Rwandese president Paul Kigali who reminded them that the whole nation is with them and that they should carry the country’s flag high.

“Chances of winning are higher when you go into a game believing in your ability to win, begin by believing that winning is possible, that you are as capable as your opponent, then work hard to achieve it”, Kigali told the team

Amavubi captain Jacques Tuyisenge speaking to the media shortly after meeting the president said he meeting the President was a timely motivation for the team ahead of their first quarterfinals with Congo DR.

The match will be played tomorrow at the Amahoro National Stadium beginning 3pm with the second match in Huye between Ivory Coast against Cameroon that will begin as from 6pm CAT

Austin Oduor

talking African football