Aiming for a strong start with Nigeria, Eric Chelle's Super Eagles travel to Rwanda in World Cup 2026 qualifying, needing a positive result in Friday's Group C encounter at the Amahoro Stadium.
The three-time African champions find themselves second-bottom entering the fifth round of matches, trailing the side in second by four points (Benin leapfrogged Rwanda after Thursday's draw with Zimbabwe), and they can ill afford further slip-ups as they attempt to qualify for the global finals.
Match preview
Rwanda dare to dream after four games in World Cup qualifying, as the Amavubi sit second in Group C, a point behind Gernot Rohr's Benin who drew 2-2 with Zimbabwe on Thursday and level with South Africa on seven points heading into Friday's match against the African giants.
Despite suffering a 1-0 loss to Benin last June, the Wasps 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.
Having never participated in a World Cup finals, new boss Adel Amrouche hopes to secure a victory in his first match in charge of the East African nation as qualification reaches its halfway point.
Aiming to capitalise on a pair of games in Kigali, Rwanda hope for the best-case scenario over the next two fixtures, with Bafana Bafana facing Lesotho on five points and Rohr's ambitious Cheetahs.
Success in both matches could put the Amavubi in a favourable position, so you could forgive the home support for thinking ahead before Nigeria's visit.
Stating that the Super Eagles have underperformed is an understatement, as the African giants have started their campaign winless in four games, playing three draws and suffering a 2-1 defeat in Benin despite taking the lead through Raphael Onyedika.
Chelle's appointment in January, seven months after that June 2024 setback, received mixed reactions in the West African nation, and the Abidjan-born Malian manager aims to secure results to win over the sceptics.
Achieving success in his Super Eagles debut is almost crucial for the three-time African champions, who sit on three points heading into Friday's match in Kigali, if they wish to maintain realistic hopes of qualifying for the 2026 tournament after missing out in Qatar.
Nigeria have never been uninvolved in consecutive finals since their 1994 debut in the United States, qualifying in 2010 after narrowly missing out four years earlier; this iteration, which features the continent's best players over the past two years — Victor Osimhen (2023) and Ademola Lookman (2024) — strive to avoid the shame.
However, the Super Eagles, winless in their last three encounters with Rwanda and suffering a 2-1 defeat at home in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in November 2024, must secure their first win in the East African nation to bolster their World Cup chances.
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