Nigeria secured a slender 1-0 victory over Rwanda in a FIFA World Cup qualifier on Saturday night, a result that keeps their hopes for qualification alive.
However, their win was marred by an injury to star player Victor Osimhen who had to be subbed off in the 32nd minute with Cyril Dessers taking his place.
This could be a huge blow to Nigeria’s already slim chances of qualifying for the world’s biggest football tournament. Osimhen’s injury puts his availability for their important game against Bafana Bafana on Tuesday in uncertainty.
The game itself began sluggishly, with few scoring opportunities for either side. The Super Eagles eventually began to find their rhythm, though they struggled to convert their possession into clear-cut chances.
A key moment came in the 35th minute when Alex Iwobi was denied an opening goal by a good save from the Kaizer Chiefs shot-stopper Fiacre Ntwari. As the first half drew to a close, the home side increased the pressure, keeping the Rwandan defense busy, but the visitors remained solid.
Nigeria finally broke the deadlock in the 50th minute. A defensive mix-up by Rwanda allowed Tolu Arokodare to capitalise, as he tapped the ball in to give his team the lead.
After securing the first goal, the Nigerian hosts gained confidence and continued to press forward, creating more opportunities in their search for a second goal, but Ntwari came up several superb saves to deny the hosts.
Amavubi struggled to get back into the game as Nigeria’s defense gave them little room to launch an attack.
The Super Eagles now sit third in the group with ten points after seven matches. Benin are second with 11 points while South Africa have accumulated 16 points.
