Rwanda/Ethiopia: Rwanda Hold Ethiopia but Bow Out of CAF Women's Olympic Qualifiers
Rwanda's women's football team was eliminated from the CAF Olympic qualifiers after a 1-1 draw with Ethiopia, resulting in a 2-1 aggregate loss. Despite a late goal, Rwanda could not overcome the deficit established in the first leg.
Why it matters
This result marks the end of Rwanda's Olympic aspirations for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, highlighting the competitive nature of regional qualifying tournaments.
Rwanda's hopes of qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games came to an end on Tuesday after the Amavubi held Ethiopia to a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their CAF Women's Olympic qualifiers in Dire Dawa, losing 2-1 on aggregate.
Needing a victory to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit, Rwanda travelled to Ethiopia knowing that anything less than a win would end their Olympic dream. However, the hosts struck first, leaving the visitors with an even tougher task.
Ethiopia took the lead in the 28th minute through Mesay Temesgen, extending their aggregate advantage to 2-0 and putting Rwanda under pressure to respond.
The goal forced Andr Casa Mbungo's side to push forward in search of a lifeline, but their efforts went unrewarded before the break. Emerance Niyonshuti came close to equalising in first-half stoppage time but failed to convert a one-on-one opportunity.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in