Nigeria-born Oldham Athletic U-19 Head Coach, Chukwuma Akuneto, has exclusively told Completesports.com that the Super Eagles must approach Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Rwanda with caution and composure to avoid conceding an early goal.
Akuneto emphasised that, given the importance of the match to Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for their seventh FIFA World Cup finals, the team must remain disciplined, as the Amavubi may adopt a counter-attacking strategy. He labelled the fixture a “must-win” for the Super Eagles.
Speaking from his base in London, the 47-year-old highlighted the significance of the clash between Group C leaders Rwanda and fifth-placed Nigeria.
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Rwanda sit atop the group with seven points—level with South Africa and Benin Republic, who are second and third, respectively, on goal difference. Lesotho are fourth with five points, while three-time African champions Nigeria are fifth with just three points from four matches. Zimbabwe, Nigeria’s matchday six opponents at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Tuesday, are bottom with two points.
As the high-stakes encounter looms, Akuneto warned that Coach Eric Sekou Chelle’s men must be tactically astute to avoid the risk of conceding first while chasing an early goal.
“The Super Eagles need to be very cautious. It is a must-win game, no doubt, but they must be smart enough not to fall into the trap of going all out and then conceding the first goal,” Akuneto said.
“They need to be pragmatic, calm, and assured in their approach.
“We can win the game in a moment, so caution must be our watchword while we push for the victory.
“I am sure the Rwandans will not attack fully but will set traps and look to catch us on the break.
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“That said, I believe the coaching crew have done their homework, and the players are fully aware of what is at stake. They all want to play at the World Cup. I wish Nigeria the very best,” Akuneto concluded.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 5pm (WAT) inside the 45,508-capacity Amahoro National Stadium in Gasabo District, Kigali.
A victory for the Super Eagles would reignite their seventh FIFA World Cup finals qualification hopes, having previously appeared in the tournament six times—in the USA (1994), France (1998), Korea/Japan (2002), South Africa (2010), Brazil (2014), and Qatar (2018).
The fixture will also mark Coach Eric Sekou Chelle’s debut in charge of the Super Eagles after succeeding Finidi George, who stepped down following four matches at the helm. Finidi led Nigeria to a 2-1 win over Ghana and a 2-0 defeat against Mali – both in friendlies – as well as a 1-1 draw with South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan in the World Cup qualifiers.
The Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director, Austine Eguavoen, only handled the Super Eagles in the interim and guided the team to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations which Morocco will host from 21 December 2025 to
18 January 2026.
By Sab Osuji
