Mark Gleeson BBC Sport

Rwanda are through to their first ever finals

Striker Jimmy Gatete catapulted himself into the record books with a priceless second half goal that made Tunisia 2004 a reality for a country more known for the 1994 genocide.

The result also saw, Rwanda, nicknamed the Bees, become the smallest country to qualify for the continental championship since Mauritius 30 years ago.

How Rwanda qualified

In a classic case of David slaying Goliath, the tiny east African nation caused arguably the biggest upset in African Nations Cup history by humbling a team that has won the tournament four times.

Football fanatic

In many ways the shock win also highlighted the fact that there is nothing quite like having a football fanatic for president to help lift your profile on the African stage.

Rwanda's surprise qualification has much to do with the intense interest in the game of president Paul Kagame, who has injected much cash and passion into the national side.

Mbonabucya is Rwanda's star player

Equally, however, the sudden rise of the Bees has come on the back of twice hosting the regional East and Central African Senior Challenge Cup and the hiring of the Yugoslav coach Ratomir Dujkovic.

The game has become a lot more serious and the club scene has also shown development, as evidence by the qualification of the army club APR FC for the quarter-finals of the African Cup Winners' Cup this year.

The club provide the backbone of the national team although Rwanda also benefit from the services of four Belgian-based players who all figure regularly for their clubs and for the national team.

They are the St Truiden pair of Claude Kalisa and Desire Mbonabucya, Pape Mayele of Lokeren and Hamid Ndikumana from Gent.