Rwanda’s national football team, Amavubi, will be seeking a strong response when they host Mali on November 17, 2026, following a 3-2 defeat in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 qualifying Group K encounter played on Friday, November 13, in Bamako.

The return fixture is scheduled for 21:00 at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, where Amavubi will have an opportunity to respond in front of their home supporters.

Despite the defeat at Stade du 26 Mars, Rwanda remain second in Group K with six points from three matches, keeping their qualification ambitions alive.

Rwanda twice took the lead before Mali secured victory

Amavubi made a positive start and opened the scoring in the 29th minute through Jojea Kwizera, giving Rwanda an early advantage.

Mali responded shortly before half-time when Kamory Doumbia equalised in the 43rd minute, sending both teams into the break level at 1-1.

Rwanda regained the lead nine minutes into the second half when Phanuel Kavita scored in the 54th minute to make it 2-1.

However, Mali continued pressing and restored parity in the 63rd minute through Moussa Kounfolo Yeo.

The hosts eventually completed their comeback in the 84th minute when Mamadou Camara scored the decisive goal to secure a 3-2 victory for Mali.

The result gave Mali all three points despite Rwanda taking the lead twice during the encounter.

Mali dominated possession and attacking statistics

The match statistics reflected Mali's dominance in possession and attacking opportunities.

The hosts controlled 73.9 per cent of possession compared to Rwanda's 26.1 per cent. Mali registered 35 shots, while Amavubi managed six attempts.

Mali recorded nine shots on target against Rwanda's five. Despite facing sustained pressure, Rwanda's goalkeeper made six saves, compared to three by the Malian goalkeeper.

Mali also completed 650 passes with an accuracy of 88.6 per cent, while Rwanda registered 233 passes at 62.7 per cent accuracy.

The hosts further recorded eight corners against Rwanda's one, highlighting the attacking pressure they maintained throughout the match.

Despite the statistical difference, Rwanda demonstrated attacking efficiency by scoring twice from their limited opportunities.

Rwanda remain second in Group K

Following the result, Mali strengthened their position at the top of Group K with nine points from three matches, having recorded three consecutive victories.

Rwanda remain second with six points after winning two matches and losing one. Cape Verde occupy third position with three points, while Liberia sit fourth without a point.

Group K standings

Position| Team| Played| Wins| Points

1| Mali| 3| 3| 9

2| Rwanda| 3| 2| 6

3| Cape Verde| 3| 1| 3

4| Liberia| 3| 0| 0

The standings show that Rwanda remain in the qualification race, although Mali have established a three-point advantage at the top.

Amahoro Stadium awaits as Amavubi prepare for return fixture

Attention now turns to November 17, when Rwanda welcome Mali for the return encounter at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00.

The match presents an important opportunity for Amavubi to respond, strengthen their position in Group K and demonstrate their determination to remain competitive in the race for AFCON 2027 qualification.

The technical team will need to address the defensive challenges exposed in Bamako, particularly Mali's ability to create numerous scoring opportunities, while improving ball possession and maintaining the attacking effectiveness demonstrated by Jojea Kwizera and Phanuel Kavita.

Mali will arrive in Kigali as group leaders with a perfect record of three victories. However, playing on home soil gives Rwanda another opportunity to challenge the group leaders with the support of their fans.

For Rwandan supporters, the defeat in Bamako should not mark the end of belief in Amavubi. Rwanda still have six points, remain second in the group and have another 90 minutes to demonstrate their ambition.

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