Sports
Super Eagles defeat Rwanda 2-0 to rekindle World Cup hopes
It was an exciting day for the Super Eagles of Nigeria the club claimed an all important success over Rwanda in Kigali to boost their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria headed into the game failing to win their first four games in Group C, drawing three and losing one and were fifth on the table.
They needed to get a win against Rwanda, whom they have failed to defeat in their last two outings, losing one and drawing one.
However, they secured a 2-0 victory against the Amavubi in a bid to get a ticket to the World Cup in the USA.
The new head coach Erik Chelle used a 4-4-2 formation against Rwanda, with Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman leading the attack for the Super Eagles.
Nigeria needed to start the game on the front foot and needed an early goal to get going. In the 11th minute, the Super Eagles got the first goal from an inswinging freekick.
Lookman put in a decent freekick, which was met at the far corner by Osimhen, who put his laces on the ball and slotted home.
The Super Eagles doubled their lead before stoppage time in the first half after Osimhen snatched a loose ball from a Rwanda defender and was through on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat. He dinked the ball over the shot-stopper to get his second goal of the game.
Chelle’s side controlled the game in the second half and limited Rwanda from creating any chances. However, they were unable to get more goals and extend their two-goal lead in the game.
Following the final whistles, the Super Eagles moved to fourth place on the table with six points. They will now place their attention on their next game against Zimbabwe in Uyo.
Sitting quietly at one corner of the departure hall of the Kigali International Airport on Saturday morning, Super Eagles’ captain William Ekong had a relaxed mien about him, and minced no words in saying that Friday’s victory over Rwanda’s Amavubi was just the statement the Eagles needed to put out as the World Cup race reached halfway mark.
“It was important to make the statement that we did, and we’re all happy about it, and the way we did it. Of course, we have not qualified and there’s still a lot of work, but we have started the recovery in a good way and we just have to keep working hard.
“I don’t want to go into the circumstances that made the first four matches go the way they went. The good thing is we can still recover and revive the campaign, and we have done that.”
Ekong’s firm leadership, and Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Simon Moses’ zest at the fore, were all too evident and impactful as the Eagles coasted to a 2-0 win over hosts Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium, throwing up nostalgia of the strong squad that wowed all and came within 23 minutes of lifting the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire early last year.
As the chartered ValueJet Airline’s CRJ-900 aircraft touched down at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo at exactly 2pm on Saturday, Ekong told thenff.com that he would be rallying the troops ahead of Tuesday’s Day 6 encounter against the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
“We read somewhere that the Zimbabweans are being motivated to come to Uyo and get a result. They should forget it. We are hugely motivated by the ambition to play at the FIFA World Cup. Apart from myself and Alex (Iwobi) and perhaps a couple others, who were part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, this generation is hungry to play at the highest level. We want to make Nigeria proud and at the same time, do ourselves proud.”
PHOTO 3: Ambitious Generation!
Victor Osimhen, whose brace unscrambled the calculations of the Amavubi and made them disappoint the capacity crowd that included President Paul Kagame, said at the Victor Attah Airport. “We are ready. The remaining matches are wars and we must fight them with all that we have to win.”
Victory on Tuesday evening will take Nigeria to nine points, and in firm contention for the ticket, especially if Benin Republic and South Africa cancel themselves out inside Abidjan’s Stade Félix Houphouet-Boigny.
Real Madrid have reportedly decided to shift their focus away from Enzo Fernandez and Martin Zubimendi, choosing instead to pursue Stuttgart midfielder, Angelo Stiller, claims a report from Fichajes.
With Toni Kroos retiring and Luka Modric facing an uncertain future, the club is determined to strengthen their midfield, and Stiller has emerged as the most practical option available in the market.
His release clause of €36.5 million makes him an affordable alternative compared to other targets that have been under consideration.
Has been quite this impressive season
The 23-year-old midfielder has already drawn interest from Barcelona in the past, but now it is Real Madrid who are positioning themselves for a potential move.
Stiller, a product of Bayern Munich’s youth academy, has established himself as a key figure at Stuttgart, playing a crucial role in the club’s impressive Bundesliga campaign that saw them finish as runners-up.
His performances have not gone unnoticed, earning him a debut with the German national team and further solidifying his reputation as a rising talent in European football.
Strategic fit and potential deal
One of the key aspects that could facilitate Stiller’s move to Madrid is his association with Sports 360, an agency where Toni Kroos also plays an influential role.
Given Kroos’ strong ties with the agency, his presence could help smoothen negotiations and play a decisive role in convincing Stiller to join the Spanish giants.
Madrid’s decision to move away from Zubimendi and Enzo is not purely financial. The club is looking for a midfielder who aligns with their playing philosophy and can seamlessly fit into the tactical structure.
Stiller’s profile offers the right balance of technical ability, composure, and adaptability, making him a suitable candidate for the long-term midfield project at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Mikel Merino scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal beat Chelsea to move 12 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Both of these sides came into the match without their first-choice striker, with Kai Havertz ruled out for the season with a hamstring injury for Arsenal and Nicolas Jackson missing for Chelsea.
Chelsea were also without their most important player in Cole Palmer, who was out of the squad with an injury, and it was the first time the Blues have to had to play without him since they lost 5-0 to Arsenal in April last season.
Arsenal, again naming Merino as a makeshift striker, dominated the game early on and Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice all went close.
Merino’s winner came in the 20th minute when he flicked on a curling corner from Martin Odegaard past a stretching Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea’s best opportunity to take something from the game came when Marc Cucurella’s powerful effort slipped through David Raya’s hands but the ball rolled just past the post.
Robert Sanchez, recently restored as Chelsea’s first-choice keeper, had some shaky moments as the Blues were put under pressure with a number of crosses into the area and he was jeered by the home crowd when he had the ball at his feet.
Sanchez produced an excellent save to deny Merino in the second half, but Chelsea could not find the goal to get something from the game.
Liverpool are not playing in the league this weekend as they are involved in the Carabao Cup final.
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