Africa-Press – Rwanda. Amavubi centre-backs Ange Mutsinzi and Thierry Manzi have said that they believe the team can beat Nigeria when both sides meet for the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers tie on Friday at Amahoro Stadium.
“It is a tough match against one of the best teams in Africa, and it means a lot. Our objective is to pick up the three points and stay in the campaign,” Manzi said.
Rwanda dares to dream after four games in World Cup qualifying, as the Amavubi sit joint-top with South Africa and Benin on seven points in Group C heading into Friday’s match against the African giants.
“I think the game is open, and we will fight to avoid losing. It is tough, but we are ready for the challenge. We must remain confident and ensure that we focus on the game until the end,” he added.
Despite suffering a 1-0 loss to Benin last June, Amavubi responded with a narrow victory away from home by defeating Lesotho, placing them in a promising position ahead of the first of two home fixtures.
“We are certainly not concerned about history books and what has happened before. Qualification for the FIFA World Cup is our priority,” Mutsinzi said.
Having never participated in a World Cup finals, now under the tutorship of Algerian tactician Adel Amrouche, Rwanda hopes to secure a victory against Nigeria as it tries to try to push on for qualification.
“We need to defend well if we want to get points. Every game starts with better defending, so we must be ready and give 100 percent because the three points can move us to nine points, which would be very good for us,” he added.
Rwanda is in the same group as Nigeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Benin.
Current standings:
Rwanda – 7 pts
South Africa – 7 pts
Benin – 7 pts
Lesotho – 5 pts
Nigeria – 3 pts
Zimbabwe – 2 pts
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