Amavubi in injury scare


By HAMZA NKUUTU
Monday, 25 September 2006

As time ticks away to Amavubi Stars Africa Nations Cup clash against Liberia, key players are continuing to pick scaring injuries. The Amavubi Stars travels to face Lone Stars in a 2008 Ghana Nations Cup qualifier planned for the weekend of October 7-8.

 Team captain Jimmy Gatete, Mike Yossam, Ramathan Nkunzingma and Abdul Sibomana are all undergoing treatment for different injuries. Gatete, 24, has been carrying a troublesome thigh injury for over months, with poor response to treatment.

As a way of lifting his morale, Coach Michael Nees recently appointed Gatete as team captain, but the injury has inflicted on his scoring chances.

Yossam was just unlucky as he picked up a seemingly nasty ankle injury on his international debut, a clash against Cameroon last month.

Nees seems to have lost hope on the duo’s fitness ahead of the Monrovia trip.

He said: “Of now, I don’t know about the recovery time. We shall have to wait as we keep an eye on them in the coming days.”

The duo, as well as Sibomana and Nkunzingoma watched from the stands as Atraco held their teammates to a goalless draw at Amahoro Stadium on Saturday.

The fans’ darling, Mutesa Mafisango, too missed the Saturday training, a possible repeat of his continued absence from the team’s preparations.

Nees said he was pleased with the way the Amavubi performed against a sleek passing Atraco, who too failed in the final touches.
“I am happy with the team’s performance. It was a good game for us and from a personal point of view, I am very satisfied because I managed to test the new young player on the team,” he told Times Sport.

The German has promoted up to six rookies, three from the U-20 and U-17 respectively and after giving all of them a run in the senior side on Saturday, he expressed his content with the way they have quickly adapted to life at the senior level.