‘We respect all teams but can’t be intimidated by any’
By Kunle Mudasiru
Augustine Eguavoen started his fourth stint with the Super Eagles on a fabulous note, with the three-time African kings decimating Benin Republic’s Cheetahs 3-0 in Uyo on Saturday.
The 58-year-old intends to continue along the win-and-smile path when Nigeria confront Rwanda at the Amahoro National Stadium, Kigali on Tuesday afternoon.
“We play to win all the time, because Nigerians expect their team to win all the time. And because we have a team with great personnel, we play every team with respect but we don’t get intimidated by any.
“Our objective for Tuesday’s game is the three points.”
Team captain William Ekong, speaking at the pre-match post conference at the Amahoro Stadium on Monday, just before the Eagles’ official training, echoed the tactician: “We are here for a purpose. With Coach Eguavoen, who has coached the team before, we all feel like a family. We will play for each other and go for the three points that will establish us at the top of the table.”
Table-toppers Nigeria, still basking in the great-feel of their 3-0 defeat of the Cheetahs, take on the Amavubi (Wasps) at the refurbished 45,000-capacity facility in the heart of Kigali in a Matchday 2 encounter of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, from 2pm Nigeria time.
Tuesday’s encounter is the first of four battles between the Eagles and the Amavubi in the next 12 months, with the two teams to clash in November in Nigeria in the final round of this qualifying race, and then do a home-and-away in the 2025 FIFA World Cup race with the Wasps also hosting Nigeria first in March next year.
Coach Torsten Spittler, a German, has roused the country of 13 million people to believe that the Amavubi can torpedo Nigeria, Libya and Benin Republic, and earn their first ticket to the Africa Cup of Nations since 2004.
He flaunts an impressive record though, having led the team to win three of their last eight matches, drawing four and losing one.
Spittler intends to set defenders Claude Niyomugabo, Fitina Omborenga, Ange Mutsinzi, Jean Claude Niyomugabo and Christian Ishimwe against Nigeria’s twin-terrors Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, who both concocted the three goals that deflated the Cheetahs in Uyo.
In the midfield, Olivier Niyonzima, Bonheur Mugisha and Jean Bosco Rubineka can prove a handful on their day, and at the fore, Spittler has implicit confidence in Gilbert Mugisha, Bienvenu Mugenzi and Innocent Nshuti, who got the team’s equalizer against Libya in Tripoli last week.
Eguavoen confirmed on Monday that all 23 players in the Nigeria team abode at the Radisson Blu are fit and ready, meaning that goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali should be expected to start, alongside captain Ekong, Semi Ajayi and Calvin Bassey at the heart of defence, while Olaoluwa Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi will be wingbacks.
Wilfred Ndidi will possibly anchor the midfield that will have Alex Iwobi or Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, while Ademola Lookman, Victor Boniface and Samuel Chukwueze could still start at the fore.
