By Piers Edwards

Rwanda coach Roger Palmgren denies bribery allegations

Rwanda coach Roger Palmgren has denied that any third party has approached him with regard to Saturday's key World Cup qualifier at home to Angola.

Some sections of the media in Africa has been speculating that interested parties are trying to usher Rwanda to play in a certain way.

With Angola just pipping Nigeria at the top of Group Four, Rwanda can help the Super Eagles to World Cup qualification should they hold table-toppers Angola in Kigali.

Yet should Rwanda's Wasps fail to sting, an Angola victory would take the Palancas Negras to their maiden World Cup finals.

"There have been no approaches," Palmgren told BBC Sport.

"The rumours are here - that there have been Angolans here for two to three weeks, but I haven't seen anything.

"It's normal when you have a game like this.

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"It always comes up. Even at last year's European Championship, when Sweden drew 2-2 with Denmark to eliminate Italy from their group, you had the same conspiracy theories there.

"It doesn't surprise me - I'm just concentrating on our game."

A good omen for Nigerian fans, who desperately need Rwanda to halt Angola, is that the Wasps are unbeaten at home since the Swede took charge last year.

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"We haven't lost at home under my control and we're not going to lose this game either," he explained.

Yet the coach has failed to lead Rwanda to a win during his tenure, and knows that his job is very much on the line.

"Out of pride, we are fighting to bring victory because it is important for us, for me and for the people of Rwanda," he announced.

"I'm fighting for my job, I'm not sleeping well, I need to win one match.

"If we lose this game, I think I'll quit."

Since drawing at home to Nigeria in June, Rwanda have lost 3-0 away to Gabon and 3-1 in Zimbabwe last month.

The Wasps coach blames these defeats on depleted squads and says Group Four's bottom side will perform much better on Saturday.

"I have a big confidence in our team, especially now we are bringing home all the professionals," Palmgren said.

"Away to Zimbabwe, I didn't have six of my key players, including Olivier Karekezi, Jimmy Gatete and Said Abed among others.

"It was very difficult - I mean, France were crying when they were without Zinedine Zidane."

"With all our players available again, it will be very difficult to beat us."

Rwanda are at full strength save for the absence of Claude Kalisa, who is injured.

Palmgren also denied that Joao Elias has been dropped from the squad because of his Angolan roots.

The coach explained that Elias had played poorly in his last match and the decision was based on football reasons alone.