Rwanda's national amateur ladies team will be looking to stage a triumphant performance in the 20th All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT) which teed off on Tuesday at Phalakane Golf Club in Gaborone.

The ladies displayed more than impressive golf enroute to finishing fifth in Nigeria and know that nothing short of the same finish or even better in Botswana will silence their critics.

"Nothing will stop us from performing to our best," team member Claire Kayitesi, who plays off handicap 5 said. "We are raring to go."

Kayitesi will team up with Jenny Kalisa Linda and Alphosine Murikatete for the three-day event with an aim to upstage the 21 other African countries bidding for honours.

But the Rwandans will have to quickly adapt to a dry course and super fast greens at Phalakane if they are to return par scores.

Twenty countries are expected to take part and they include hosts Botswana, Egypt, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Reunion, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Angola.

South Africa has won the Team Event in all previous ten tournaments, with the exception of Egypt, which emerged champions in 2006. The individual trophy has been won by Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Ivory Coast.