The Super Eagles of Nigeria edged past Rwanda with a narrow 1-0 victory in a decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying clash at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
Substitute Tolu Arokodare scored the only goal of the match in the 51st minute, sealing three vital points for Nigeria in Group C of the African qualifiers.
The Super Eagles came into the game sitting in fourth place with seven points, nine behind leaders South Africa.
Eric Chelle’s men thought they had opened the scoring in the first half, but Victor Osimhen’s tap-in was ruled out for offside.
Replays showed Osimhen was onside, but VAR was not in use at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
The only goal of the game came in the second half, after substitute Tolu Arokodare forced the ball home.
The win comes barely 24 hours after group leaders South Africa extended their advantage with a commanding 3-0 victory over Lesotho, taking their tally to 16 points.
Following the defeat, Rwanda remain fourth in the group with eight points, while Nigeria have now climbed to 10 points from seven matches.
The Super Eagles will next face South Africa in a potentially decisive fixture at the Free State Stadium on Tuesday, before rounding off their campaign against Lesotho and Benin in October.
This result takes Nigeria into third place, ahead of their game against South Africa in three days’ time.
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