When Stephen Constantine took charge of Rwanda’s national team, he inherited more than a football team preparing for another qualification campaign. He inherited a long wait. Rwanda have not appeared at the Africa Cup of Nations since 2004, and Constantine has made ending that 22-year absence one of the central objectives of his tenure. Before Rwanda’s opening AFCON 2027 qualifier against Liberia, the English coach made his intentions clear. “There are things that happened over 22 years, those are finished. I came here to fix them,” Constantine said. For the coach, the task is not simply a

When Stephen Constantine took charge of Rwanda’s national team, he inherited more than a football team preparing for another qualification campaign. He inherited a long wait. Rwanda have not appeared at the Africa Cup of Nations since 2004, and Constantine has made ending that 22-year absence one of the central objectives of his tenure. Before Rwanda’s opening AFCON 2027 qualifier against Liberia, the English coach made his intentions clear. “There are things that happened over 22 years, those are finished. I came here to fix them,” Constantine said. For the coach, the task is not simply about qualifying for one tournament. He has also spoken about strengthening the foundations of Rwandan football, particularly by investing in younger players and building a team capable of competing beyond a single campaign. “We have started the journey of change,” he said.

Stephen Constantine stands on the touchline with Rwanda’s AFCON dream in his hands — building belief, demanding progress and leading the Amavubi forward

A coach demanding a strong start

Constantine’s first major test came on September 25, when Rwanda opened their Group K campaign against Liberia at Amahoro Stadium. The Amavubi responded with a 3-1 victory, giving Constantine the three points he wanted at the beginning of the qualification journey. The result was particularly important given the limited time the coach had to work with the squad before the match. Captain Djihad Bizimana also underlined the team's ambition, saying the players believed the time had come to take Rwanda back to the continental stage. “We have the confidence and the objective not to lose any match at home. We feel this is the right time to take our team to the Africa Cup of Nations,” Bizimana said. The Liberia victory provided the first evidence of that ambition, but Constantine knows the campaign will be decided over six matches.

CAPTAIN DJIHAD BIZIMANA Leading the Amavubi with belief, determination and one clear objective to take Rwanda back to the Africa Cup of Nations.

From Kigali to Praia

Only days after the Liberia victory, Rwanda faced a very different challenge: an away trip to Cape Verde. The journey itself was demanding. Constantine said the squad travelled for approximately 18 hours, leaving the players needing recovery time before preparing for their second Group K match. But the coach said the players had recovered and remained eager to compete. Cape Verde also entered the match with something to prove after losing 3-1 to Mali in their opening qualifier. Yet Constantine has refused to underestimate the island nation. Cape Verde had impressed at the

2026 FIFA World Cup

, and their performance on the global stage has raised expectations around the team. Constantine, however, insists that the World Cup experience should not determine the outcome of an AFCON qualifier. “Cape Verde represented Africa in the best way possible and had good games at the World Cup. But what we are doing now is different from the World Cup,” he said. His message to his players is therefore one of respect without intimidation. The objective, he explained, is to adapt to the conditions and compete for a result.

More than one qualification campaign

Constantine has also described the current Rwanda squad as one of the strongest groups of players he has worked with during more than three decades as a coach. That belief comes with responsibility. The coach has repeatedly pointed to the importance of young players and long-term development, suggesting that the current AFCON campaign forms part of a broader attempt to reshape the national team. For Rwanda, that makes Constantine's project bigger than Tuesday's match in Praia. The immediate target is clear: collect points and remain in contention in Group K. The longer-term objective is equally clear: build a national team capable of returning to the AFCON finals and ending a wait that has lasted since 2004. After the opening victory over Liberia, Rwanda have three points. Mali also have three after beating Cape Verde 3-1. Now Constantine's project faces its first major away examination.

The Road to AFCON 2027

For Stephen Constantine and his players, the Cape Verde match represents the second chapter of Rwanda’s six-match qualification journey. The Amavubi began their campaign on 25 September 2026 with a 3-1 victory over Liberia in Kigali, before travelling to Praia to face Cape Verde on 29 September. The remaining fixtures will see Rwanda travel to face Mali in November 2026, before hosting Mali in the return fixture during the same international window. In March 2027, Rwanda will travel to Liberia before concluding the group stage at home against Cape Verde. According to CAF’s qualification calendar, Matchdays 3 and 4 are scheduled within the 9–17 November 2026 international window, while the final two matches will be played between 22–30 March 2027. After the opening round, Rwanda and Mali each have three points, while Cape Verde and Liberia are yet to register a point, setting up an increasingly competitive Group K as the qualification campaign progresses.

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