Facing the threat of missing out on a consecutive World Cup final, The Super Eagles were eager to get their World Cup Qualifiers journey back on track as they took on Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.
New head coach Eric Chelle named a strong attacking lineup, eager to make a lasting impression in his first match with The Super Eagles.
Victor Osimhen, who made his first appearance for Nigeria in the World Cup Qualifiers, provided the clinical edge the Nigerian team had lacked over the course of the qualifiers. Osimhen opened the scoring early for The Super Eagles in the 11th minute, popping up unmarked at the far post to turn Ademola Lookman‘s deep cross from a set piece into the net.
Osimhen has been in great form throughout the season, and he was simply too much to handle for the Rwandan defense as he doubled the lead in the additional minutes of the first half. Capitalising on a failed clearance by the Rwandan defender, he raced onto Samuel Chukwueze’s headed pass, charged into the opposition box, and chipped the ball beautifully over the onrushing goalkeeper into the back of the net. A clinical first-half performance! The Super Eagles took a well-deserved lead into the break.
With the game in the bag, Belgian league top scorer Tolu Arokodare was introduced into the fray in the 77th minute to make his national team debut for Nigeria. The scores remained unchanged till the final whistle as The Super Eagles held on for the three points. The win pushed the Super Eagles into 4th position, four points behind group leaders South Africa—a positive start to life for Eric Chelle.
