Rwanda Overtake Nigeria in World Cup Qualifiers As Group C Takes Dramatic Turn
- The Super Eagles of Nigeria are now fourth in CAF Group C of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
- Nigeria moved to third position on Saturday following their 1-0 win over Rwanda at the Godwill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo
- The Super Eagles dropped to fourth position after the full-time result of the group game involving Zimbabwe and Rwanda on Tuesday afternoon
The Super Eagles have dropped to fourth position in the CAF qualification Group C of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria take on South Africa in a must-win fixture at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday evening, August 9.
Bafana Bafana will take a giant step in the qualification series should they defeat the star-studded Nigerian side.
Source: Getty Images
Minutes before the South Africa vs Nigeria showdown, Rwanda defeated Zimbabwe 1-0, a result which takes the Amavubi to third position on the standings.
It was a highly intense encounter at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, but Gilbert Mugisha's 39th-minute strike was enough to hand the Wasps all three points.
The victory take Rwanda to third on the table with 11 points, while Benin remain second with 11 points as well. South Africa lead the pack with 16 points, while Nigeria are fourth with 10 points.
Meanwhile, attention shifts to the Free State Stadium, where South Africa will slug it out with Nigeria as three points are at stake, per All Africa.
A win for Bafana Bafana could see them claim the automatic ticket from the group should the Benin Republic fail to beat Lesotho - a match slated for Tuesday night.
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle is aware that anything short of victory in the fixture will rule them out of contention for the ticket.
The three-time African champions face the rejuvenated South African side without key player Victor Osimhen, who has returned to Galatasaray due to an injury he suffered against Rwanda.
Speaking ahead of the massive fixture, Chelle stated that there are other players who can do the job in the absence of Osimhen. He said, via Daily Post:
“Osimhen is a big star, a very good player. Like I said, I have a strong squad too, with great players on my side. They are enough for me.
“I will tell you something, they want to play a great game here once again, so we don’t have the time to say Victor is not here or maybe we cried in our rooms after his injury.
“We are together. We think about our brother [Osimhen], but we have a game, and we are united for tomorrow.”
Source: Getty Images
South Africa ready for Nigeria
Legit.ng earlier reported that South Africa captain Ronwen Williams has declared that they are fully focused on beating Nigeria when the two teams meet in an all-important 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Bloemfontein on Tuesday night.
Bafana Bafana sit six points clear of Nigeria in Group C and could secure their ticket to the global showpiece with a win.
Source: Legit.ng
