 Rwanda say they deserve to qualify |
The President of Rwanda's Football Federation, Caesar Kayizari, said "celebrations in Rwanda will never have an end." Rwanda's 1-0 defeat of Ghana in Kigali earned them a ticket to the 2004 Nations Cup finals.
It is the first time that the country has qualified for Africa's top football event.
"Everyone in the team is a hero and the whole country is in jubilation," Mr Kayizari said.
"We are happy but we are not shocked."
This is despite predictions that Rwanda would not win against the West African nation that has won four Nations Cup titles in the past. Rwanda's football revolution took root last October, when they were beaten 4-2 by Ghana in Accra.
Despite the defeat, the Rwandans felt confident that victory could be achieved in what became the crucial return tie in Kigali.
"We studied Ghana," said Kayizari, "looked at the historical perspective and saw that the last time they had won the African title was in the 1980s."
The East Africans drew encouragement from this.
"We knew by looking at the Fifa rankings that Ghana was coming down while we were going up."
And the FA president is determined that his team will not just make up the numbers.
He said they will do the country proud.
"Now we are celebrating but we must sit down soon, in order to plan and show the world that our qualification was no fluke."
MMIX
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We are happy but we are not shocked 
