Nigeria suffered a surprising 2-1 home defeat to Rwanda in their final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo on Monday, despite already securing Group D top spot.
Coach Augustine Eguavoen made sweeping changes to his starting lineup, introducing seven new players from the team that drew with Benin last Thursday.
The match began with early Nigerian pressure as Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Kelechi Iheanacho both saw their efforts blocked in the opening minutes. The game then took a controversial turn when Rwanda’s Bonheur Mugisha committed a dangerous tackle on Alhassan Yusuf.
The Super Eagles found the breakthrough in the 59th minute through Samuel Chukwueze’s brilliant individual effort.
The AC Milan winger showcased his skill by dribbling past three defenders before finishing clinically.
However, Rwanda mounted an unexpected comeback. Ange Mutsinzi leveled the score in the 72nd minute with a well-placed header from Jojea Kwizera’s free-kick delivery.
The visitors then completed their turnaround four minutes later when Innocent Nshuti capitalized on defensive confusion to make it 2-1.
“We lost concentration at crucial moments,” admitted Eguavoen in his post-match press conference. “While qualification was already secured, this serves as a wake-up call for the team.”
Despite late introductions of Victor Osimhen and desperate attempts to salvage a point, including a last-minute offside call against the Napoli striker, Nigeria couldn’t prevent their first defeat of the qualifying campaign.
The result, while disappointing, doesn’t affect Nigeria’s qualification status, as they finish top of Group D. Rwanda’s victory puts them third in the group, level on points with Benin but behind on goal difference.
