The Super Eagles of Nigeria ended their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification campaign with a 2-1 loss to Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Monday, Afrosport reports.
With a ticket to Morocco already in the bag for Nigeria, interim coach Augustine Eguavoen made seven changes to the team that faced Benin Republic in Abidjan last Thursday, as the quartet of Maduka Okoye, Moses Simon, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Victor Boniface were among the starting XI.
The first half was a drab affair, as Kelechi Iheanacho’s shot towards the end of the opening period was the only notable piece of action.
However, Eguavoen made two changes before the restart, as the duo of Samuel Chukwueze and Frank Onyeka came on for Iheanacho and the lively Alhassan Yusuf, respectively.
The changes paid off with Chukwueze breaking the deadlock in the 59th minute, 13 minutes after coming on as a substitute. The AC Milan forward scored a spectacular solo goal as he beat three Rwandan players before finishing past goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari.
Amavubi head coach Torsten Spittler made some changes, including bringing on forward Jojea Kwizera in the 69th minute. The 25-year-old turned provider just three minutes later as his set piece was met by Ange Mutsinzi to help Rwanda level the scores.
The East Africans completed the turnaround in the 75th minute when dangerman Innocent Nshuti latched on to a cutback before finishing past Okoye, who should have done better to save the strike.
Rwanda held on for the win, their first against Nigeria, but it was not enough to secure them passage to next year’s AFCON, with Benin picking up the other ticket in Group D following their goalless draw against Libya in Tripoli.
Albeit the defeat, the Super Eagles finished as group winners with 11 points, the Cheetahs of Benin finished in second place with eight points, the same as Rwanda but with a better goal difference, while Libya’s Mediterranean Knights finished bottom of the group with five points.
