Nigeria suffered a 2-1 loss to Rwanda in their final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
Despite Samuel Chukwueze’s brilliant individual goal giving Nigeria the lead,
Rwanda came from behind with two quick goals to secure their first-ever victory over the Super Eagles.
With Nigeria already qualified for the AFCON, coach Augustine Eguavoen made seven changes to the starting lineup, resting key players such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Ola Aina, and Wilfred Ndidi.
Nigeria struggled to impose dominance in the game, with Kelechi Iheanacho’s first-half effort denied by Rwanda’s goalkeeper.
Chukwueze replaced Iheanacho after halftime, and his dazzling solo run in the 60th minute put Nigeria ahead.
However, Rwanda equalized 12 minutes later with a powerful header from Mutsinzi, and just three minutes after that, they took the lead through Nshuti, who finished off a counter-attacking move.
Despite the introduction of Osimhen and Umar Sadiq, Nigeria failed to recover and ended the campaign on a disappointing note.
The win was not enough for Rwanda to secure qualification for AFCON, as Benin Republic advanced alongside Nigeria after a goalless draw in Libya.
Nigeria will face Rwanda again in March 2025 for the World Cup qualifying series in Kigali.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
