Losing to Rwanda was not the result Nigeria were expecting in their final game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, despite having already sealed their place in Morocco.
With the AFCON ticket in the bag, the Super Eagles were expected to put the icing on a dream cake with victory over the visiting Rwanda, end the year on a high, and set the scene for a resurgence in the World Cup qualifiers next year, where their hopes of making it to the 2026 Finals hangs on winning their remaining games.
On the evidence of their last two showings, drawing with Benin and then losing on Monday, those hopes look to be at very high risk.
In the buildup to the game, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was excused after suffering the loss of his father. Defender Ola Aina was also excused at the request of Nottingham Forest, while African Player of the Year nominee Ademola Lookman nursing a knock he’d picked up in the previous game.
Not that that their presence would have made much of a difference in how the coach set up his team. With nothing riding on the game, most of the regulars were already expected to be rested, and so it turned out.
Regular starters Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, who were all available, were left on the bench as Eguavoen handed starting opportunities to Alhassan Yusuf, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika.
Bayer Leverkusen‘s Victor Boniface also returned to the starting lineup in another effort to find his first international goal. Kelechi Iheanacho also returned for reasons unclear, after an underwhelming performance in the last game.
But it was substitute Samuel Chukwueze, on in the second half for Iheanacho, who waltzed his way past three defenders before drilling home. The lead did not last long. Defender Ange Mutsinzi rose completely unchallenged to head past ‘keeper Maduka Okoye, playing again for the first time in two years for Nigeria.
As Nigeria pushed to restore the lead, they were caught by a rapid raid and Innocent Ntshuni made them pay. The result, while having no effect on the qualification itself, had implications in other ways for the Super Eagles and their coach
Eguavoen’s unbeaten bubble is popped
Interim coach Eguavoen’s unbeaten bubble was punctured by Amavubi, which is Kinyarwanda for “The Wasps”. Fitting.
It has been almost four years since the Super Eagles went on an unbeaten AFCON qualifying series. That was in the race to the 2021 tournament with now-Benin boss Gernot Rohr in charge. The Super Eagles won four games, drew two and lost none.
While Eguavoen is not in competition with Rohr, there was something to be said for getting the job done in a way that matched the former boss’ accomplishment. This would have been only the third time in 15 years that the Super Eagles would go the entire qualification series unbeaten, going back to the 2010 qualifiers.
Also, it was the former defender’s first full qualifying run that he had not either picked up from a fired coach, or left half way for a permanent replacement, and finishing the race strong would have put him in good stead to lead the team in the World Cup qualifiers.
NFF sources had told ESPN they were unwilling to move on hiring a permanent coach for the job, in part because they were skint, but also largely because – with Eguavoen’s earlier results – they feared backlash. Not just from fans, but over the queries they would receive from their own bosses in government if a new coach were to come in and not match, or better, those results.
It was a risk they were unwilling to take, and the path of least resistance was to allow Eguavoen carry on until he stumbled.
These last two games, the abysmal performance against Benin, and the home loss to Rwanda, may have now provided the motivation they need to restart their search for a permanent coach for the position.
Set pieces are still an issue
Rwanda tied the game from a set piece: A direct delivery into the box that met an opposition head. Benin scored off a set piece with the goalscorer left criminally unmarked to get in a free header from a corner kick.
Libya had opportunities from set pieces that were dealt with, and Rwanda created heart-stopping moments from the same in the earlier fixture.
It is something of a wonder how the Super Eagles have gone from a team that was so stingy at the last AFCON they barely let in a goal until the Final, to one that looks as fragile as eggshells at every corner kick, freekick and even, dare we say it, throw in anywhere near their final third.
After the Benin game, captain William Troost-Ekong‘s explanation for the goal was that the team had a bit of bad luck: “I felt we were a little bit unlucky the moment they scored because the person we were missing at the front post, Victor Osimhen, was off the pitch on the other side and that’s why they scored the set piece.”
But, there is no time for a quick fix, at least not for the rest of this year. But things come thick and fast and next year, when the World Cup qualifiers roll around. Whoever is in charge then, whether it is Eguavoen or a new man, will have to figure out a proper solution to that problem.
Osimhen’s missed scoring chart opportunity
For a team that had qualified for AFCON, playing their final game at home, which also happened to be the last game of the year, one would have expected to see more storylines woven around the game and the team to draw in new fans.
The storyline had already written itself, it just needed the NFF to give it wings.
For the last couple of years, Victor Osimhen has been on a one man race to obliterate the Super Eagles scoring records, and doing so with some ease.
Last week, only the legendary duo of Segun Odegbami and Rashidi Yekini stood ahead of him, and Odegbami’s mark was within reach. The NFF made no plans to have Odegbami at the game in Abidjan in anticipation of Osimhen either equalling or passing the mark.
This game in Uyo provided a second opportunity: To have Odegbami in the stadium for a pass-the-torch moment, and in anticipation of the youngster taking sole possession of second place.
When Steph Curry broke the all-time record for 3-pointers made during the NBA regular season, Ray Allen – the previous holder of the record – was sitting in the stands watching. And when that shot hit, the game took a pause to celebrate the accomplishment and both men shared an embrace.
To look at the stands on Monday, a 30 000-capacity stadium, and see what looked less than 5 000, was pitiable.
In a country where the sport is losing fans, and the Super Eagles play in a near empty stadium, story lines like these would have been what help to turn the stiles. But there does not appear to be any motivation.
Osimhen, try as he did when he was subbed on, could not find that goal. Maybe that is a blessing in disguise, to help the NFF redeem themselves when the next game comes around, irrespective of where it is.