Senegal and Rwanda shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Huye Stadium on Saturday night, September 9, to wrap up the 2023 AFCON Group L qualifying campaign.
The Amavubi were positioned fourth in the group L rankings prior to the match, with their hopes of qualifying for the Afcon finals already dashed after failing to win a single game, They needed to defeat Senegal’s B team to conclude the campaign on a positive note.
The Teranga Lions were not afforded a pleasant start before Lamine Camara broke through in the second half.
In the 66th minute, Mamadou Lamine Camara scored with a powerful header from a free kick by Cheikh Tidiane Sidibé.
Rwanda didn’t give up after the setback, claiming a point in the final minutes through Olivier Niyonzima and sharing the spoils.
Amavubi finished fourth in the group standings with three points from three draws, capping off a poor qualification campaign.
Senegal, on the other hand, had sent their B squad considering they had already qualified for the 2023 Afcon finals, and they finished top in their group, four points ahead of second-placed Mozambique.
Senegal and Mozambique have officially qualified for the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, joining the host Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, Zambia, Ghana, Angola, Tanzania, DR Congo, and Mauritania. There are just three spots remaining.
In group C, both positions are still up for grabs, with Namibia, Cameroon, and Burundi separated by only one point following Kenya’s exclusion. Meanwhile Congo and Gambia will compete for the final slot in Group G, which will determine which team joins Mali.
RWANDA: Fiacre Ntwari, Fitina Omborenga, Ange Jimmy Mutsinzi, Christian Ishimwe, Isaac Mitima, Djihad Bizimana (Muhadjiri Hakizimana 77′), Gilbert Mugisha (Ramadhan Niyibizi 70′), Olivier Niyonzima, Bosco Ruboneka, Innocent Nshuti (Didier Mugisha 74′), and Lague Byiringiro
SENEGAL: Sy, Sidibé, Ndiaye, Sané, O. Diouf, Sabaly (A. Diouf 71′), Diop (Diongu 86′), M.L Camara, Diba (Kane 70′), Sambou (Faye 79′), P. Diallo (Gueye 86′).
