Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has stressed the importance of securing victory against Rwanda in Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Amahoro Stadium, Kigali.
With Nigeria yet to record an away win against Rwanda, Ekong dismissed past results, insisting the focus is on reigniting their qualification campaign.
“We’ve read about history, but we are not bothered. I played in the last game in Kigali, which ended goalless, but this time, we can’t afford a draw,” Ekong said.
“Our goal is to take all three points and bring life back into our campaign. Qualification for the World Cup remains our top priority.”
Nigeria’s struggles in Rwanda date back 20 years, with a 1-1 draw in a 2006 World Cup qualifier and two goalless results in 2011 and 2023 in AFCON qualifying matches.
Despite this, the Super Eagles arrived in Kigali fully prepared, with all 23 invited players reporting for duty by Tuesday.
Training continued Wednesday, with another session scheduled at the Amahoro Stadium on Thursday evening.
The squad boasts Victor Osimhen, the 2015 U-17 World Cup Golden Boot winner, who has netted 23 goals in 47 games for Nigeria.
He is joined by Ademola Lookman, reigning African Player of the Year, alongside Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Sadiq Umar, and newcomer Tolu Arokodare, all expected to trouble the Amavubi defense.
FIFA has assigned Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed to officiate the game, which kicks off at 5 PM Nigeria time. Jayed previously refereed Nigeria’s 2-1 friendly win over Ghana in March, marking the first senior-level victory over the Black Stars in 18 years.
Meanwhile, Éric Sékou Chelle will take charge of his first game as Super Eagles coach, with Nigeria desperate for three points to boost their chances of topping Group C and securing automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
