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2026 World Cup qualifiers
CAF Group C
Matchday 5
Rwanda v Nigeria
Amahoro National Stadium
Kigali, Rwanda
Friday, 21 March 2025
Kick-off is at 17:00
Rwanda will be going up against a determined Nigeria in the
World Cup qualifiers at the Amahoro National Stadium in a bid to retain first position in the Group C standings on Friday evening.
The Super Eagles have struggled in the qualifying group, earning only three points so far, while a win for Rwanda would put them seven points ahead.
Despite Rwanda's lower FIFA ranking (124
th compared to Nigeria's 44
th) and significantly less experience in major tournaments, they face a formidable opponent with a strong historical record and vastly larger population.
Rwanda, lacking a roster of European stars, entered World Cup qualifying in 2023 as underdogs. However, a surprising 2-0 victory against South Africa in November 2023 garnered attention, and they continued their strong performance with a 1-0 win over Lesotho last June.
Nigeria coach Eric Sekou Chelle named a 23-player squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, notably recalling Sadiq Umar and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo after their omission from the 2023 AFCON team.
Chelle also included two domestic league players, goalkeeper Kayode Bankole and midfielder Papa Daniel Mustapha, demonstrating his focus on incorporating homegrown talent.
Nigerian winger Chidera Ejuke voiced support for the Super Eagles ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Ejuke recently returned from injury and though named in the provisional squad he missed the final cut.
Despite this Ejuke remains optimistic about Nigeria's chances and backs his teammates for victory.
“We have a lot of players in Nigeria, and believe me, at the end of the day it’s the coach’s decision, and he knows what he’s doing,” Ejuke told the Spanish media.
“So, for me, if I get the opportunity to go there, I’ll always be happy to represent my country. I wish the boys the best and, obviously, I’ll be watching as well, and I hope they win the matches.”
2026 CAF World Cup qualifiers Matchday 5 Fixtures
Wednesday 19 March
16:00: Tanzania v Congo Brazzaville
18:00 Central African Republic v Madagascar
18:00 Eswatini v Cameroon
18:00 Liberia v Tunisia
Thursday 20 March
15:00: Mozambique v Uganda
18:00: Cape Verde v Mauritius
18:00: Malawi v Namibia
18:00: Sierra Leone v Guinea Bissau
18:00: Zimbabwe v Benin
21:00: Gabon v Seychelles
21:00: Gambia v Kenya
21:00: Libya v Angola
23:00: Comoros v Mali
Friday 21 March
15:00: Botswana v Algeria
15:00: Equatorial Guinea v Sao Tome and Principe
18:00: Burkina Faso v Djibouti
18:00: DR Congo v South Sudan
18:00: Rwanda v Nigeria
18:00: South Africa v Lesotho
21:00: Burundi v Ivory Coast
21:00: Ghana v Chad
23:00: Ethiopia v Egypt
23:00: Guinea v Somalia
23:30: Niger v Morocco
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