APR FC striker Fidali Uwiyaremye has been expelled from the Rwanda national team gathering for two late arrivals, just days before the double header against Mali in Group K.
Rwanda head coach Stephen Constantine has made his call. On Thursday, APR FC striker Fidali Uwiyaremye was sent home from the Amavubi camp, The New Times reports. The players based in Rwanda had begun their preparations there, at the FERWAFA residential centre. The dismissal followed two disciplinary breaches on the same day, with the double header against Mali approaching.
The first slip was a late arrival. Constantine had asked all called-up players to report at midday; Uwiyaremye turned up at around 13:50, after the end of the team meeting. The second came at the session scheduled for 17:00: the striker was again about twenty minutes late, even though he was staying in the same complex.
Two late arrivals, one dismissal
According to The New Times, it was the repetition of these breaches that pushed Stephen Constantine to order Fidali Uwiyaremye to pack his bags and leave the camp. The Rwandan outlet, citing sources, mentions a history of behaviour issues without specifying their nature.
Umunota, for its part, gives the detail of the day’s schedule: 11:40 meeting point, 12:30 lunch, 13:30 team meeting, 15:00 medical examinations and 17:00 training. On that timeline, the striker’s 13:50 arrival placed him after the start of the team meeting.
A Group K level at the top
The calendar now puts Rwanda up against Mali twice. The Amavubi travel to Bamako on 13 November, before hosting the same opponents on 17 November at the Amahoro Stadium.
Both nations are level on six points at the top of Group K after two matchdays. Rwanda beat Liberia 3-1 and then Cape Verde 2-1; Mali beat Cape Verde 3-1 and Liberia 1-0.
The dismissal therefore deprives Rwanda of one of its strikers for these fixtures. It remains to be seen whether Fidali Uwiyaremye will be recalled for the match at the Amahoro Stadium, or whether his absence will extend beyond this camp.