As the countdown
races to Friday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the Amahoro
Stadium in Kigali, Nigeria’s Super Eagles are unfazed by talks of Nigeria never
having beaten Rwanda in any part of the country called Rwanda. Their focus, according
to team captain William Ekong, is the three points at stake.
“Actually, we read
about that in some places but we are not bothered. I was part of the last game
in Kigali which ended scoreless, but we know that we cannot afford a draw this
time. Our objective is to pick the three points and bring some life back into
our campaign.
“We are certainly
not concerned about history books and what has happened before now.
Qualification for the FIFA World Cup is our priority.”
The three-time
African champions are yet to achieve victory over Rwanda in that country, going
back to 20 years ago, when a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying match ended 1-1 at
the Amahoro Stadium. In 2011, a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at
the Stade Regional de Nyamirambo, in the outskirts of Kigali, ended scoreless.
In September last year, another 0-0 was the outcome of a 2025 AFCON qualifying
match at the Amahoro.
All 23 invited
players were at the Eagles’ Radisson Blu nest on Tuesday night, meaning
everyone would be involved in the second training on Wednesday, and in the
official training session at the Amahoro Stadium on Thursday evening.
Nigeria’s
goal-banger Victor Osimhen was among the early arrivals, while celebrating
becoming the new leading scorer in the Turkish Superlig with 20 goals after a
hat-trick on Saturday. The 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup top scorer now has 23 goals
for Nigeria in 47 matches.
There are also
reigning Africa Player of the Year Ademola Lookman, Simon Moses, Samuel
Chukwueze, Sadiq Umar and new invitee Tolu Arokodare to make life difficult for
the Amavubi rearguard.
World
football-governing body, FIFA has appointed Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed, who
turns 38 two days after the match, to take charge of the game that will kick
off at 6pm Rwanda time (5pm Nigeria time). Jayed took charge of a friendly game
between the Super Eagles and Ghana’s Black Stars in Marrakech on 22nd March
2024, which Nigeria won 2-1.
That match marked
the first in 18 years that Nigeria would overcome Ghana in a game at senior
level.
On Friday,
Franco-Malian tactician Éric Sékou Chelle will lead out the
Super Eagles for the first time, as the FIFA World Cup qualifying series resume
with Nigeria, yet to win in their previous four matches, having to start
winning in order to brighten their chances of picking the only automatic ticket
from group C to the finals in USA, Canada and Mexico next summer.
PHOTO: Super Eagles at training in Kigali
on Tuesday
Morocco 2025: Flamingos to remain in camp for final round battle
with Algeria
Nigeria’s U17
girls, Flamingos, are to remain in camp as they countenance the final round of
qualification series for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals, in
which they confront their Algerian counterparts.
The first leg
encounter will take place on Saturday, 19th April at the Remo
Stars’ Stadium, Ikenne-Remo, with both teams to clash in the final leg in
Algeria a week later.
2022 World Cup
bronze medallists Nigeria trashed South Africa’s Bantwana 3-1 in Pretoria and
followed this up with a 2-0 win in Ikenne at the weekend, for a 5-1 aggregate
win that condemned the visitors to trying their luck again next year, while
Nigeria progressed to the final round.
On their part,
Algeria lost 1-2 to Botswana in Gaborone in the first leg, but fired on all
cylinders to win the return 4-0 on home soil to be eligible to confront Nigeria
for a ticket to this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in Morocco.
OTHER FINAL
ROUND FIXTURES
Kenya Vs
Cameroon
Benin
Republic Vs Cameroon
Cote d’Ivoire
Vs Guinea
PHOTO:
Nigeria’s star-girl Shakirat Moshood races away from South African defender
Bonolo Mokoma during Saturday’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifying match in
Ikenne-Remo.
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