Amavubi players have been promised Rwf3 million each if they beat Mali in Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, after their usual winning bonus was doubled ahead of the crucial Group K match.
The revised arrangement means each player would earn twice the previous Rwf1.5 million reward for a victory. The bonus for a draw has also increased from Rwf750,000 to Rwf1.5 million, as Rwanda prepares for the match at Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako.
The financial incentive comes at a significant moment for Amavubi, who are pursuing their first appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations since 2004. Rwanda and Mali both won their opening two qualifiers and are level on six points.
Rwanda began with a 3-1 home win over Liberia, followed by a 2-1 victory away to Cape Verde. Mali defeated Cape Verde 3-1 and Liberia 1-0, leaving both teams unbeaten heading into their first meeting.
Although the sides share the same goal difference of plus three, Rwanda leads Group K after scoring five goals to Mali’s four. Cape Verde and Liberia have yet to collect a point.
The two games against Mali are expected to have a major influence on the qualification race. The first takes place in Bamako on Friday, November 13, before Amavubi host the return fixture at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Tuesday, November 17.
Both matches are scheduled to kick off at 9 p.m. Rwanda time.
Amavubi arrived in Mali earlier this week and held their first training session in Bamako on Wednesday at the Jean-Marc Guillou football academy.
All 24 players took part, including captain Djihad Bizimana, who had joined the squad in Mali. Rwandan supporters living in Bamako and others who travelled with the team were also present to encourage the players.
Head coach Stephen Constantine is scheduled to lead the team’s final training session on Thursday at Stade du 26 Mars. He and Bizimana are also expected to address journalists before the match.
Mali has the stronger record in previous meetings. The teams have faced each other four times in World Cup qualifying, with Mali winning three matches and the remaining game ending in a draw.
Their last two encounters came in 2021, when Mali won 1–0 in the first match and 3–0 in the return. Rwanda now has an opportunity to change that record while protecting its unbeaten start to this qualifying campaign.
The top two teams in Group K will qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted jointly by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Even four points from the two matches against Mali would not automatically guarantee qualification, with fixtures against Cape Verde and Liberia still to come.
Those remaining matches will be played next year, but the immediate focus is on Bamako. A win would keep Rwanda at the top of the group and earn each player the promised Rwf3 million bonus.
A draw would bring a Rwf1.5 million payment, while a defeat would leave Amavubi looking to respond when Mali visits Kigali four days later.
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