Rwandan FA Release Fresh Statement Hours Before World Cup Qualifier vs Nigeria
- Rwanda and Nigeria will face off in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier matchday five later today
- The Amavubi will host the Super Eagles in a crucial match at the Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali
- The Rwandan FA (FERWAFA) have published a fresh statement ahead of the match at 6 PM local time
The Rwandan Football Association have published a fresh matchday statement ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Nigeria later today.
Rwanda will host the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali at 6 pm local time as both sides face a crucial match in their quest for qualification.
Source: Getty Images
Rwanda are second in Group C with seven points, behind Benin Republic, who have eight points after their 2-2 draw against Zimbabwe yesterday in Harare.
Nigeria sit fifth in the group with three points, tied with Zimbabwe but have a superior goal difference, making matchdays five and six crucial for the West Africans.
The Super Eagles have started the campaign poorly, playing three draws and losing to Benin Republic in the opening four games, which leaves them in a precarious position.
Eric Chelle will be the third manager to coach the team in the qualifiers after Portuguese Jose Peseiro and the legendary Finidi George oversaw two games each.
Rwandan FA release fresh statement
There has been lots of talking from both teams ahead of the match later today, with the managers (assistant for Rwanda) and team captains holding press conferences yesterday.
On matchday, the Rwanda Football Association (FERWAFA) published a statement on their X page urging their fans to get behind the team for the crucial encounter.
“The day has come for all of us to be behind the Tigers. Our guard is vital and a weapon for our young men. #FIGHT #WCQ2026 #WeAllBehindTheTiger,” the statement reads.
The Wasp are in a better place on the table than the Eagles and from the recent clashes between the two teams, they are best placed to score an important victory.
The two sides were also in the same group the the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Nigeria qualified as group winners with 11 points, while Rwanda with eight points missed out on head-to-head with Benin Republic.
However, Rwanda drew Nigeria 0-0 at the Amahoro Stadium with goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari the hero of the day with seven saves, before scoring a historic 2-1 victory on the final day at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, as noted by Brila.
Source: Twitter
The East Africans could ride on that momentum to repeat the same feat and deal a massive blow to the three-time African champions’ World Cup ambitions.
The two sides share similarities as they have new managers in Eric Chelle and Adel Amrouche, both of whom were hired this year.
Rwanda captain ‘disrespects’ Nigeria's attack
Legit.ng previously reported that Rwanda's captain Bizimana Djihad disrespected Nigeria's attack during his pre-match conference ahead of today's crucial tie.
Bizimana admitted that the Super Eagles have one of the best attacks in Africa, but it is nothing to worry about for the Amavubi as they have contained them before.
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Proofreading by Jimmy Modise, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
Elijah Odetokun (Sports Editor) Elijah Odetokun is a Nigerian sports editor at Legit.ng. He has four years of working experience and holds a Bachelor of Agriculture from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and a Diploma in Freelance and Sports Writing from the London School of Journalism. Email: elijah.odetokun@sportsbrief.com
Jimmy Modise (Sports Copy editor) Jimmy is an experienced copy editor who has for just under two years as junior copy editor at Sports Brief and is still engaged in the same profession now for Legit Media and other projects. He has a Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies, has worked briefly as radio producer, intern sportswriter and copywriter in his storied journey.
