World Cup
Rwanda newspaper psyches up new coach, Amrouche ahead of World Cup qualifier with Nigeria
Leading Rwandan newspaper, The New Times has enumerated the challenges and promises that the country’s new coach, Adel Amrouche faces ahead of the impending World Cup qualifying duel with Nigeria in Kigali.
The newspaper writes:
Adel Amrouche, the newly appointed head coach of Rwanda’s national football team, steps into a role laden with both promises and challenges.
Amrouche, 56, brings extensive coaching experience, having previously managed national teams across Africa, including Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, Kenya, Burundi and Tanzania.
However, his task is far from simple—Rwanda’s national team has long been stuck in mediocrity, with little success on the continental stage.
Yet, this is also a time of opportunity, as Amrouche is tasked with building a competitive squad to elevate Rwanda’s football status and perhaps make a historical breakthrough in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
His immediate focus will be preparing the Amavubi for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Nigeria (March 17) and Lesotho (March 24) at Amahoro Stadium.
These games are crucial for Rwanda’s qualification hopes and will test Amrouche’s ability to get the best out of a team that, although currently leading its World Cup qualification group, has struggled historically in international competitions.
The Amavubi face a daunting task of overcoming heavyweights like Nigeria and South Africa in their group.
But the 56-year-old, with his vast experience across African football, probably understands the challenges of managing in a high-pressure environment.
He knows that with little time to implement his tactics before these key matches, he will have to rely on the groundwork laid by his predecessor, Torsten Spittler.
Amrouche’s ability to adapt quickly and build on this platform will be critical. Failure to do that, and he also become a statistic before the end of his two-year contract.
Limited resources and high expectations:
One of the key challenges that Amrouche will face is Rwanda’s limited resources, both on and off the pitch.
Unlike powerhouses such as Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, or even Amrouche’s native Algeria, Rwanda’s football infrastructure and financial backing are not on the same level.
The team’s budget is modest, and they do not have the luxury of world-class facilities or top-tier club competitions to draw talent from.
However, Amrouche is no stranger to working with limited resources. He has led teams with fewer advantages, particularly during his time coaching in countries like Burundi and Yemen.
In Rwanda, he will need to maximize the potential of the players at his disposal and instill a sense of discipline, resilience, and tactical acumen to overcome these limitations.
He will have to make the most out of Rwanda’s home-grown talents, focusing on their development and playing to their strengths.
Rwanda’s limited success on the continental level, including their near-miss at qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, also adds pressure on the Algiers-born former midfielder.
The team’s only “major” trophy to date, if you may like, was the 1999 CECAFA Senior Challenge, and they have qualified for the AFCON only once in 2004.
This long history of underachievement makes Amrouche’s task even more daunting.
He must not only push the team to compete at a higher level but also instill a sense of belief and unity within a squad that has often faltered in crucial moments.
Political and mental challenge:
Another challenge for Amrouche will be navigating the political and managerial instability within
Rwanda’s football system.
The country has witnessed one of the highest turnover rates of coaches in African football, with a staggering 24 different coaches in the last three decades.
This high turnover rate is indicative of the impatience that plagues Rwandan football and adds to the pressure on the incoming coach to deliver results quickly. Amrouche must therefore tread carefully. He must hit the ground running.
While he has the technical expertise, he must manage expectations within a football culture where stability is often lacking. Appetite for quick-fix is Amavubi’s Achilles’ heel.
His previous experience with the national teams of Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, and Tanzania shows that he understands how to manage under pressure, but in Rwanda, his ability to foster long-term success will be tested.
In the same breath, FERWAFA must also provide him with the necessary backing to ensure he has the tools to succeed, especially when it comes to the development of players and infrastructure.
Patience is the path to success:
For Amrouche, the long-term goal is clear—he must qualify Rwanda for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and help the Amavubi reach new heights in African football.
To achieve this, he will need to prioritize the development of a strong team chemistry, tactical discipline, and mental fortitude.
His role is not just about game strategies but also about fostering a culture of professionalism and unity within the squad. Spittler succeeded in this areas, and so his successor must.
One of Amrouche’s key strengths will be his ability to scout talent and give younger players a chance to shine. Rwanda has a growing pool of young talent, and Amrouche must build a team that blends experience with youthful energy.
If he can successfully identify and nurture talent, he will lay the foundation for long-term success. Short-term success is needed, and indeed most welcome but the ultimate goal should be on the future.
Amrouche’s appointment marks the beginning of a new era for Rwanda’s national team. His success will depend on how he navigates the challenges of limited resources, Rwandan football political instability, and high expectations.
If he can strike the right balance and foster a sense of unity within the team, and be able to build on the foundation left by Spittler, Amrouche may finally deliver the success that Rwandan football fans have long yearned for.
It’s possible but only time will tell.
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Dozens of Argentines who were denied visas to travel to the United States to see the World Cup will at least have a new free television channel to watch the games.
Argentine conglomerate Newsan promised to give out local brand Noblex televisions to the first 100 people who lined up on Wednesday outside its Buenos Aires office with paperwork in hand showing they had been denied a visa between January and June of this year to visit the United States.
“Give us your denied visa and take a free TV,” an advertisement on Instagram said.
One of the lucky winners was Tomas Vageller, a 24-year-old professional videogame player.
“I went to get a visa because we all think it will be Messi’s last World Cup,” he said. “It’s very sad I won’t be able to see it, but well, I’m leaving with a gift.”
People line up to show their U.S. visa denials to receive free television sets during a promotion by television manufacturer Noblex for people unable to travel to the World Cup due to visa rejections, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/ Tomas Cuesta
In three-time World Cup winner Argentina, soccer fever has been unusually tempered days before the 2026 World Cup kicks off in North America – much less feverish than in 2022, which many saw as Argentina’s last hope to win the tournament under Lionel Messi’s leadership.
–-Reuters
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Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan returned home to a hero’s welcome on Wednesday after being barred from entering the U.S. for the World Cup, describing the decision as a matter of “fate” and urging his fellow Somalis not to lose heart over it.
Artan, Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, had been set to become the first Somali to officiate at soccer’s global showpiece, but was turned back by U.S. Customs and Border Protection over the weekend.
The Trump administration said on Tuesday the U.S. had denied Artan entry for the World Cup because of his links to “suspected members of terror organizations”.
“What happened has happened and it was fate. I am grateful for the support FIFA gave me,” Artan told reporters after arriving in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.
“Somalia is ours, whether things are good or bad. I want to tell our youth not to lose hope in our country,” he said. “I am now in my country, and there is no other place I want to be.”
‘WE REALLY FELT HIS PAIN’
Later on Wednesday, thousands of cheering supporters, some carrying flags and photos of Artan, poured into a stadium in Mogadishu, where he was the guest of honour at a game.
Many said they were bitterly disappointed by the U.S. decision but said Artan’s stature was undiminished in their eyes.
“As young people, we really felt his pain. We all also have dreams. He made such a huge effort to reach the stage he reached and was eventually let down,” student Abdulqadir Ali Abokor, 26, told Reuters.
“For us and for many around the world, he is… a champion, and this decision doesn’t make a difference,” he added.
“We are here to show him that we stand with him,” fitness instructor and former referee Abdi Abdulle Baasaale, 54, said.
Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who met Artan on Wednesday, said he had “won the hearts of millions and secured his place in history”.
“Omar Artan has done more than unite the footballing world; he has ignited hope in every child who dares to dream beyond the horizon. Dreams may be deferred, but they are never defeated,” Barre said in a post on X.
DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT
Artan’s ordeal has drawn global attention, with the head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressing solidarity with him.
“You reached the summit of your profession and inspired a generation back home just by getting there, and being kept off the pitch you earned doesn’t change that. This won’t be the end of your story on the world stage,” Tedros, the first African to head the WHO, said in a post on X late on Tuesday.
The Trump administration’s strict immigration policies have been a point of concern, opening a new tab before the World Cup, with Washington imposing a sweeping travel ban last year on citizens of 12 countries, including Somalia.
Somali government officials and an official from the Somali Football Federation told Reuters that Artan had been issued a diplomatic passport.
“Artan was travelling on a diplomatic passport which we issued for the World Cup to ensure he didn’t face any obstacles,” a Somali diplomat at the embassy in Nairobi said.
A U.S. official said that Artan did not try to enter the U.S. on a diplomatic passport, without addressing whether he had one.
Somalia’s foreign ministry expressed “deep regret” over the U.S. decision in a statement issued on Wednesday. It said the Somali government had made unsuccessful diplomatic efforts to enable Artan’s travel.
A FIFA spokesperson said Artan would now not be able to train or officiate at the tournament, which is being held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada and starts on Thursday.
Without identifying Artan, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was deemed inadmissible because of vetting concerns.
An administration official later said CBP officials had determined that Artan was a threat to national security.
It was not clear which game or games Artan would have refereed, although such information is typically only announced two to three days in advance.
-Reuters
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the way soccer’s governing body had handled visa issues ahead of the World Cup, saying on Wednesday that it was working to find solutions but could not override government decisions.
Speaking on the eve of the tournament opener between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, Infantino addressed concerns surrounding Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was barred from entering the U.S. despite having a valid visa.
“It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia,” Infantino told a press conference.
“We are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces. We are a sports organisation.”
The case has drawn attention to immigration challenges ahead of the June 11-July 19 tournament after U.S. authorities said Artan was denied entry because of his links to “suspected members of terror organisations”.
Infantino said FIFA was continuing to work behind the scenes to resolve outstanding issues but stressed that immigration decisions ultimately rested with national authorities.
“We always try to find solutions,” he said. “Sometimes, to immediately start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution.”
Asked whether visa-related controversies had made him regret selecting the U.S. as one of the host nations, Infantino said he had no regrets.
“There are issues; it’s normal for an event of this magnitude,” he said. “Some come from the United States, some from Canada, some from Mexico. We deal with all of them.”
The FIFA president also pointed to Iran’s participation in the tournament as evidence of his organisation’s efforts to navigate complex political circumstances.
“People were saying Iran couldn’t come to the World Cup,” Infantino said. “I promised them they will come.”
He said ensuring Iran’s participation despite geopolitical tensions demonstrated football’s ability to bring people together.
WE WANT TO UNITE THE WORLD
The Swiss-Italian executive repeatedly returned to a message of unity, saying the World Cup could provide a welcome distraction at a time of global conflict and uncertainty.
“When Iran plays, the stadium will be full, and I hope there will be a positive atmosphere because this is football,” he said. “We want to unite the world.”
Infantino also defended FIFA’s ticket pricing after criticism from some supporters who argued that the cost of attending matches had become prohibitive.
FIFA has sold more than six million tickets for the tournament, which now has 48 teams, and demand has exceeded expectations by “a factor of 10 or more”, he said.
“The starting price at $60 is the lowest entry price of any of the American sports in the playoff phases,” Infantino said.
“If you sell it at a lower price point, it would have gone on secondary markets at much higher prices. Every dollar that comes in goes back to the development of football.”
The World Cup kicks off on Thursday at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, which will become the first stadium to host matches at three men’s World Cups, with Infantino predicting one of the most competitive tournaments in the event’s history.
The FIFA president said factors including altitude, climate, travel and the expanded format would add further unpredictability before concluding: “Let the celebration begin.”
-Reuters
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