AFCON 2025 Qualifiers Highlights: Rwanda and Nigeria Battle to a Draw

there be in store for that man based in South Africa with chipper united we are underway in kagali Rwanda the home side Nigeria the runners up at this year's Nations Cup in there familiar green but with uh heavy dose of uh black thrown in as well Gilbert Misha down the left hand side as Randa come forward in the opening minutes he let's fly a goal fails to trouble andali for Nigeria the Nottingham Forest man and here he is again well that's got in behind and look instantly alert drives into the area early chance for Nigeria oh it's not being taken and why not you might wonder because that was a very that's better from bassi and he's charging forward now as well bassi into bonifas surrounded by two lays it back Striker goal for Midi and he hit it well enough wford and DD swung into the middle fre header in the middle for Rwanda they cannot take it well there was a bit of space in there thoroughly entertaining afternoon msin and that's Paul from TR to Kong and there's chance left fly at goal just over and Deli bashiru will pick it up again under a little bit of pressure no foul says the referee listen to the Roars greet that fairly simple bit of play at the back by boner Misha two mishas on the field so going to use her their full names so not their full names but at least two of their names to distinguish between them this is Neo magabo the left back for Rwanda getting forward boner mugisha and is last qualifying campaign saw them end Finish bottom of their qualifying group had a fairly extraordinary record they were in a group with Sagal then the raing African Champions mosambique and benine and they managed to lose all their home games and draw all their away fixtures you would obviously expect it really to be the other way around but they held senagal the uh then African Champions to a one-1 draw in their final qualifying game pretty decent result but it certainly can give uh Nigerian supporters uh some room for optimism boner Misha spreading it out wide they got two in the middle here overlapping as well onto the left foot they go and he just couldn't get the shot away in the end quera he the last time Randa won a qualifying event lag B Ringo grabbing the winner and that is their only victory in their last three attempts to get to the Nations cup lukman bursting forward and lman can open the scoring here but he can't for a fine save from anari and he is a man on Absol not too much in that as you can see from the pat on the back from the Nigerian Muir with the delivery and up they go in the middle and just for a moment AI took his time but it's come back in to Rwanda Striker goal doesn't go too far blocked the effort from m zinzi still with Rwanda into the middle it goes and this time headed Away by bassi nice turn if he could have held on to it there busy man couldn't do so but he's won it back trying to force the play but excellent defensive work from Delhi bashiru well this man is just bursting full of confidence delivery headed away at the near post by Rwanda AA will pick it up for the three-time African Champions played out very casually so by on Mai who gets it back now chazi could run here from Deli bashiru and he just tried to Glide his way past byy mana byy mana wasn't making it easy for him but that was Defensive suicide at the back for Rwanda giving the ball to Bonny fast strike he's going to have some work to do again as aena with the throw long throw as well look at that flicked on into bonifas and I don't think lman get slow from the Moroccan man in the middle Chaz with a chance to bring It Forward at the other end lman nicely played into Bonny Bonas onto left foot let's fly it goal against the crossbar lman can't get the followup [Applause] either a suitable Stadium to host International matches he just get the feeling that if Nigeria can just put one solid move together they will make the Breakthrough and then possibly had one or two more but for the moment the Rwanda defense holding firm just chazi aena swung in by aay up to lman and lman just passed the post and he can't just guide it inside pretty well second after just four games of uh the championship the second tier of English football his sixth season with the club from Birmingham a and a man who was a central in Nigeria's run to the Nations Cup Final early in the year AA with the head away Randa trying to force him pressure after that Bright Start and they let fly from distance and that's not going to be troubling Stanley noar during coaching staff will be pretty happy with certainly the defensive side of their game he certainly tightened up at the back that's another strike this time from bizy Mana there's not a lot of physicality being allowed to get through in this game three in the middle he can't play the pass cuz he's straight offside another effort from distance this time a little closer but they are trying their [Applause] life so the African footballer of the Year fin 25 but in the World Cup qualifiers for 2026 as well CA the world cup Nigeria has started really badly currently sitting second bottom of the six te group we come to that in the moment deli bashiri with a striker goal gu It On Target as couldn't get a read on it Nigeria's po displays in the world qualifiers that put an end to the very very brief reign of Ben George as coach here taking charge after Jose pazo the Portuguese who guided the super Eagles to the Nations Cup Final left shortly after that in came for George the former International part of that glorious team of '90s just lasted two competitive games twoyear contract has to straight offside but if he's not it's a really smart save again for Matari and he's not given offside there super ball over [Music] the it's interesting that o is being uh Dro to the bench instead of Bonny F by eavon is he looking for a reaction does he genuinely believe everyone has lost a little it's far in recent times quera [Music] oh just a little bit in front of the Nigerian defense that's better much better driving at goal was quiser lovely layoff to him by Muir and that was a chance was a permanent starter and understandably his age and stage of his career Frank the Tank as he was no wanted more time good stuff from Simon nice down the left hand side Oni space inside it's straight Atari from oim turning trying to find oan he was called by Gillette men doing the pressing now and Y can he hold on to it this time he can lukman he's got space on the left hand side in the shape of this man Moses Simon checks in into the middle and then lukan attacking it the Rwanda hell firm Oni now deep across aiman was falling possibly he was looking to try and head it into the path of Lou waiting lurking manzy with the crucial intervention absolutely vital Anda going in strongly again as he often does he had to wait for oan to get in the middle flick up up to lman and straight to unari again they cannot find power from lmani was once again the obstacle in the romand and goal shoy drops deep Tron goes all the way with it spread out to quiser overlapping for distance timing again and blocked byy big he could hold on to it too hot to handle they tried their lot so many times from range today Rwanda but that was Far and Away the most fearsome effort not only because it was well hit but also because it was straight down the pitch on target as well because so many of their efforts to sailed harmlessly by that's why the crowd are up now they beginning to believe at this very very late stage of the game on out to AA driving forward on the right hand side once again AA in it goes over odman Simon will get back in plays it back Nigeria can settle it here but they can't cuz Oni couldn't connect brilliant defense once again in the back the blocks from the Rwanda backline have been really impressive at times Ona on your M or sorry on your DEA can't handle it a little bit of [Music] the well the two previous games between Rwanda and Nigeria in kagali have ended in draws look destined to join them comp's curse could result in a goal a Clips it in in goes aiman and oan cannot find a way past andari once