Julius OkorieWith less than 24 hours to the all-important clash in Kigali, Captain William Troost- Ekong says going for outright victory is the desire of the team.
The last time both teams met in kigali, it ended goalless and Ekong says settling for another draw is not on the card. References have been made to the last result in certain quarters, and Ekong insists the team is not dwelling on the past.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“We read about that in some places but we are not bothered. I was part of the last game in Kigali, which ended scoreless, but we know that we cannot afford a draw this time,” Ekong said on Wednesday.
“Our objective is to pick the three points and bring some life back into our campaign. We are certainly not concerned about history books and what has happened before now. Qualification for the FIFA World Cup is our priority.”
The three-time African champions are yet to achieve victory over Rwanda in Kigali, dating back to 20 years ago when a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying match ended 1-1 at the Amahoro Stadium.
In 2011, a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at the Nyamirambo Stadium, in the outskirts of Kigali, ended goalless. In September last year under the Coach Austin Eguavoen in the AFCON 2025 qualifier, the encounter also ended in barren draw at Amahoro Stadium that is set to host Friday’s showdown.
Meanwhile, it was action packed shape up training for the Eagles on Wednesday as Coach Eric Chelle had the full compliments of his 23-man squad. The last Eagle to arrive, Alhassan Yusuf, joined the team’s Radisson Blu Hotel camp to record 100% full house to the delight of the coach and his team of assistants. The New England Revolution player keyed into action and is hoping he will get a chance to showcase his skills.
READ ALSO:World Cup Qualifiers: Eagles Camp Opens In Kigali, Osimhen Is Early Bird
The Eagles, who are fifth on the Group table, are seeking to earn vital points to improve their standing on the log, even as new coach, Eric Chelle, looks forward to beginning his reign as Eagles handler on a victorious note.
FIFA has appointed Moroccan referee, Jalal Jayed, to take charge of the game, which will kick off at 5 pm Nigeria time. Jayed took charge of a friendly game between the Super Eagles and Ghana’s Black Stars in Marrakech on 22nd March 2024, which Nigeria won 2-1.
Friday will be symbolic as Coach Chelle begins his first competitive match in his quest to qualify the Eagles for the next world cup in USA, Canada and Mexico next summer. A victory will not only be a morale booster but also improve the team’s chances of achieving the dream.
Nigeria it will be recalled failed to qualify for the last World Cup in Qatar after losing in the play-off against Black Stars of Ghana.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
![Abandoned Promise: How UNIZIK's Neglect Of Ifite-Ogwari Campus Threatens Nigeria's Food Security [Video]](https://www.primebusiness.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/UNIZIK-Ifite-Ogawari-Campus-Faculty-of-Agriculture-480x384.jpg)
