For 45 long minutes at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, it felt like Nigeria’s World Cup dream was slipping further away. Fans groaned with every missed chance, and when Victor Osimhen’s early goal was controversially ruled offside, many feared the Super Eagles would once again stumble.
But the second half told a different story. Tolu Arokodare, the lanky substitute striker, delivered the lifeline Nigeria desperately needed, a scrappy, determined strike that found the back of the net in the 55th minute. It wasn’t pretty, but it was priceless.
Rwanda Silenced, Nigeria Breathes
Rwanda came with a plan, frustrate the Eagles, waste time, and cling to a draw. For most of the night, it worked. But once Arokodare broke the deadlock, the Amavubi had no answer. Nigeria’s defense, shaky in recent games, held firm to protect the narrow lead.
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As the final whistle blew, the stadium erupted, not in wild celebration, but in sheer relief.
The Numbers Game
With this victory, Nigeria now sits on 10 points from seven matches, leapfrogging Rwanda but still trailing South Africa, who lead Group C.
The equation is simple: the Eagles must win their remaining games to stand a real chance of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Any slip, and the dream could collapse.
What This Means For The Super Eagles
This was more than three points, it was a fight for national pride. A loss would have been catastrophic, both for the team and for the millions of Nigerians who live and breathe football.
But while tonight brings relief, it also underlines a hard truth: Nigeria can no longer coast on talent alone. The Super Eagles must show grit, strategy, and hunger if they are to make it to North America in 2026.
