Rwanda change Eagles match venue

THE 2013 Nations Cup qualifier between Rwanda and Nigeria will not be played at the Amahoro Stadium, but a smaller facility also in the capital city of Kigali, officials have disclosed.

Secretary general of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Musa Amadu, informed that he has been officially communicated by his counterpart from Rwanda FA that the February 29 match will be played at the Stade Regional de Kigali.

THE HEAT IS ON: Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi dishes out instructions to his wards, ahead the Rwanda game

“We have been informed that the match will be played at a different stadium because the Amahoro Stadium is under renovation,” Amadu disclosed.

Further  investigations have revealed that the new match venue is more compact and has a capacity for 22,000 fans and, like the Amahoro, has an artificial pitch.

It is also the home ground of the country’s biggest club APR.
The Amahoro Stadium, on the other hand, is Rwanda’s national stadium and has a bigger capacity of 30,000.

The Eagles should therefore now expect to play in a noisy, crammed arena with the home fans playing as the 12th man for the Amavubis.
In the meantime, the Eagles began getting set for the heat they are expected to encounter on match day in Rwanda by training in Abuja by 1.15pm local time Monday.

The tropical heat will also mean the artificial pitch is hot and so make the players’ boots also unbearably hot.

The training lasted for about two hours with the players expressing their readiness to fight for victory no matter the discomfort they may face.

”Guys, bear the heat because Rwanda would be hotter than this on the match day,” warned Keshi as his players struggled with the early afternoon heat.

“This is your business and you must be good and ready.

“Una no say the Rwandans wan show us say they fit survive their heat, we must show them too say as Nigerians we fit cope for any weather.”

Kano Pillars midfielder Gabriel Reuben said he was getting set for the encounter and was sure that his teammates will get used to the weather before the team jet out to Kigali.

Striker Sunday Mba and goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim spoke in similar vein, with a strong conviction that the only thing on their minds is victory in Rwanda.

All the 19 players in camp took part in the initial light work-out save for the Heartland pair of Bathlomew Ibenegbu and Kabir Umar, who were excused because they both featured in the Nigeria Premier League clash against Rangers Sunday.