Nigeria kept their 2026 FIFA World Cup dream alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Uyo, a result that reignites hopes of sealing automatic qualification.
The Super Eagles had to dig deep, especially after talisman Victor Osimhen limped off in the 34th minute with a knock to his lower left leg. The first half offered little to cheer about, but the breakthrough came just six minutes after the restart thanks to new Wolves signing, Tolu Arokodare.
Introduced at half-time, Arokodare needed just one chance to make his mark. His initial shot was blocked, Ademola Lookman’s follow-up was parried by Rwanda goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari, and the 23-year-old striker reacted quickest to smash the loose ball into the roof of the net from close range.
Nigeria pushed for a second, but Ntwari kept Rwanda alive with a superb double save to deny Moses Simon and Lookman. In the end, the scrappy strike proved enough to bag three vital points.
The win lifts Nigeria to third in Group C, leapfrogging Rwanda and narrowing the gap on leaders South Africa, who sit six points clear. Next up? A massive showdown in Bloemfontein on Tuesday — a game that could define the Super Eagles’ campaign.
It’s been a turbulent qualification journey so far, with Nigeria under their third manager of the campaign. Current boss Eric Chelle has steadied the ship somewhat, taking four points from his first two qualifiers in March, though a late equaliser against Zimbabwe remains a costly setback.
With only group winners guaranteed a ticket to the finals, Nigeria must realistically beat South Africa to keep control of their destiny. There is a twist, however — Bafana Bafana could yet be docked three points for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho in March, pending FIFA’s ruling.
Failing that, Nigeria’s fallback route would be as one of the four best second-placed teams heading into the African play-offs, where just one side advances to an intercontinental final qualifier.
