Sporting Kansas City defender Abdul Rwatubyaye (pictured above, third from left) earned his 23rd cap for the Rwanda Men’s National Team on Saturday, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3-0 loss to the Ivory Coast at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan.
Rwatubyaye, 23, helped Rwanda stay within striking distance of the Ivory Coast for most of the night as the Wasps fell short of reaching the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in the final qualifying match of Group H.
The Ivory Coast took a seventh-minute lead through Nicolas Pepe and held their 1-0 advantage for the next hour. Manchester United defender Eric Bailly doubled the lead in the 67th minute and Lyon forward Maxwell Cornet added a third five minutes later.
Rwatubyaye, who signed for Sporting in February after starring for six years in the Rwandan Premier League, will rejoin the MLS club ahead of Saturday’s home game against the Montreal Impact. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. CT at Children’s Mercy Park with tickets available at SeatGeek.com. Fans may also call 888-4KC-GOAL to secure a Family 4 Pack, consisting of four tickets, four hot dogs, four Coke products and four bags of chips.
