Rwanda's national football team, the Amavubi, produced a determined comeback to beat Cape Verde 2-1 away from home on Tuesday, September 27, 2026. The win keeps their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) dream firmly alive. The match was a tightly contested encounter, with both sides refusing to give each other much room in the opening stages.
Cape Verde started brightly and took the lead in the 40th minute through Gilson Benchimol. However, Rwanda responded almost immediately, with Claude Niyomugabo scoring in first-half stoppage time to restore parity. The Amavubi Stars refused to allow the deficit to change the direction of the game and continued searching for an opening.
The decisive moment came in the 52nd minute when Joy-Lance Mickels delivered a dangerous ball into the box, and Elie Iradukunda turned it into the net. Suddenly, Rwanda had gone from trailing to leading, and the goal changed the complexion of the contest. Cape Verde now had to chase the game, while Rwanda were faced with the difficult task of protecting a lead against a home side determined not to let the points slip away.
In the final stages, Cape Verde made changes in search of an equalizer and continued pushing forward. Rwanda, meanwhile, had to absorb pressure and look for opportunities to threaten on the counter. There were moments when the margin between victory and a draw appeared painfully thin. Fiacre Ntwari produced an important save in the 79th minute to deny the hosts an equalizer.
With the clock running down, the pressure continued, and Cape Verde kept throwing players forward, knowing that one goal would rescue a point. However, Rwanda held firm, with Ntwari remaining composed in goal, while the defence continued to put bodies behind the ball. The visitors also had chances to settle the contest once and for all, but Vozinha prevented the Amavubi from adding a third.
The final minutes became a battle against the clock, with Rwanda making substitutions to bring on fresh legs. At 93 minutes, Bonheur Mugisha and Mickels were withdrawn, replaced by Kévin Muhire and Innocent Nshuti. When the final whistle arrived after six minutes of added time, Rwanda had completed a remarkable turnaround to take the lead and win a match that Cape Verde spent the closing stages desperately trying to rescue.
The victory gives the Amavubi another important step in a campaign whose objective is to return to the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since their historic appearance 22 years ago. After opening the campaign with a 3-1 victory over Liberia, Rwanda now have six points from their first two matches. They have shown that their AFCON journey will not be defined only by what happens when they are in control.
Key points
- Rwanda secured a priceless away win against Cape Verde to keep their AFCON dream alive.
- The Amavubi came from behind to win 2-1 against Cape Verde.
- Rwanda now have six points from their first two matches in the AFCON campaign.
