Africa-Press – Rwanda. Saturday, September 6
Nigeria vs Rwanda (Godswill Akpabio Stadium)
Kickoff: 6PM CAT
Rwanda got off to a bright start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup late last year and were once leading Group C table ahead of African powerhouses Nigeria and South Africa,
But things started to turn sour when Amavubi, under new coach Adel Amrouche, dropped to second place after Nigeria beat 2-0 them in Kigali in June.
Rwanda aren’t in a much better position now, having failed to win any of their last four matches across all competitions.
They have now dropped third in Group C with eight points, after Benin beat Zimbabwe 1-0 on Friday to claim the second place with 11 points. South Africa extended their lead at the top to five points after beating Lesotho 3-0 on Friday.
Rwanda and Nigeria now go head to head, knowing that any result, but a win, would see their World Cup hopes fade.
“We are well prepared for the match. Nothing is going to distract our mission. If history is anything to go by, we have already lost, but football is not as that straight forward, we have our chance and we are ready for job,” said Rwanda goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari.
A victory would be historic for Rwanda against Nigeria, especially since it could weigh heavily in the final standings and the selection of the best runners-up from the nine qualifying groups.
But achieving this seems trick for a side which has been struggling recently, especially in the attacking department.
However, striker Innocent Nshuti is still optimistic.
“We struggled to score in past matches but we have since worked on our attacking midfield and striking forces and we are optimistic on winning the match,” he said.
“Nothing is impossible in football. We still believe that Rwanda can win this game and stay in contention, so we have to be ready.”
The two nations have clashed six times since 2012, with Nigeria holding the edge with two victories. Three matches ended in goalless draws (0-0), while Rwanda managed just one win (1-2) in the qualifiers for AFCON 2024.
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