The Nigerian Super Eagles battled to a narrow but deserved 1–0 victory over Rwanda in the World Cup Qualifier clash on Saturday, with substitute Tolu Arokodare grabbing the decisive goal in the second half.
Nigeria dominated possession from the outset, controlling 70% of the ball in the first half, but despite their superiority they couldn’t find the breakthrough before the interval. Rwanda, who were forced into a defensive shape, struggled to cope with the Super Eagles tempo and were visibly tired after chasing shadows for long spells.
Rwanda, drained by Nigeria’s relentless ball retention, struggled to sustain pressure in the second half. While the Super Eagles continued to create chances, they lacked the clinical edge to kill off the game, allowing the hosts to remain within touching distance. In the end, however, Nigeria’s composure and defensive discipline secured three vital points.
After the match, Head Coach Eric Chelle expressed both relief and satisfaction at the result.
Okay, good evening. I’m happy about the three points. I’m happy about how the team played in the first half because we had 70% of the possession ball and because of that Rwanda was tired and this is why in second half they don’t press us when we score the goal. so now we are happy because we won 1-0 and we can go in South Africa with a lot of ambitions.
Chelle also reflected on the nature of football, noting that dominance does not always translate into a comfortable scoreline:
Around this game, there was a lot of pressure on this guys. The reality we had, if we finish this game with 3 or 4-0, there is nothing to say. But the reality is football is not like that. Sometimes you have 10 chances to score a goal and you just score one. So you need just to be focused on what you’ve done during this game, the good things and the bad things, and try to do better at the next game.
Looking ahead to the upcoming clash against South Africa, Chelle emphasized preparation and building on the positives:
For me the goal was winning this game and after that we will work. We have one training session, maybe two training sessions to go to South Africa and if we win 1-0 in South Africa we will be happy.
Eyes on South Africa
The Super Eagles will now turn their attention to South Africa, carrying confidence from their performance against Rwanda. While the margin was slim, the display showed control, resilience, and the ability to stick to the game plan and qualities they will need in their next challenge.
