Rwanda coach, Frank Spittler has admitted that the chance to win in Nigeria is very low as his side faces the Super Eagles in their final 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

Spittler said this at the post-match press conference after Rwanda suffered a shock 1-0 loss to the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in an AFCON qualifier at the Amahoro Stadium, Kigali on Thursday.

Rwanda wasted several scoring opportunities to break the deadlock before Fahd Saad Mohamed came off the substitutes bench to score the game-winning goal in the 84th minute, a truly shocking result.

The defeat leaves Rwanda’s hopes of qualifying for the AFCON for the first time since 2004 almost over as the Wasps are occupying the third position in Group D with five points after five matches.

Rwanda must now defeat Nigeria at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State while relying on Libya to beat Benin Republic in Tripoli to keep their 2025 AFCON hopes alive.

Spittler has admitted that the Wasps are condemned to beat the Super Eagles on Monday but the German football tactician urged his players to give a performance that will be talked about for ages.

READ ALSO: https://wavenewsng.com/sports/football/eguavoen-urged-to-return-to-technical-director-role/

“As long as there is a chance to qualify, we will do everything for it, so for sure, we have to win in Nigeria and that is what we are trying to do,” Spittler told reporters at the post-match presser.

“The chance to win in Nigeria is not very high, but there’s always a chance, and that’s what I tell my players, it’s a big match to play against some of the best players in the world.

“This is what I will tell my players. When you are a grandfather you will talk about this match and it doesn’t really matter then if you are qualifying for Afcon or not, but to try your best, and to show good football.

“We showed it in the last match against Nigeria. We can have a good match against them. 

“It’s always the question of are you scoring or are you not scoring. There are bad days but maybe we have a very nice day in Nigeria.”

Super Eagles interim head coach, Augustine Eguavoen has been urged to return to his role as Technical Director with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) as soon as possible.

Eguavoen was given this advice by the United Kingdom-based Nigerian sports journalist, Osasu Obayiuwana who believes the former has done quite well with the Super Eagles so far.

The Super Eagles will play their final 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against the Amavubi of Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Monday, November 18, 2024.

The team returned to Nigeria about 24 hours after snatching a 1-1 draw against the coach Gernot Rohr-led Benin Republic at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Thursday.

Already qualified for the AFCON with a solid 11 points from five matches, including three wins and two draws, Obayiuwana has urged Eguavoen to return to his role as the NFF Technical Director.

READ ALSO: https://wavenewsng.com/sports/football/ola-aina-back-in-england-on-forest-request/

“If I were @coacheguavoen, I would say this to @thenff, after the @NGSuperEagles final #AFCON2025 qualifier, against #Rwanda: “I stepped into the breach, to get the team to the AFCON finals.

“Now I have done that, I am going back to my Technical Director’s role, so you can get a substantive coach before the next round of WC qualifiers in March.

“I’m glad to have helped the country in its hour of need. Do I need to spell out why this is the best thing for him to do?,” Obayiuwana concluded.

Eguaveon has, meanwhile, only lost four of the 25 matches he has taken charge of the Super Eagles. His records are: 25 Matches, 16 Wins, 5 Draws and 4 losses.

Ola Aina will not play any part in the Super Eagles’ final 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Rwanda on Monday, November 18 as the defender is back in England.

The Super Eagles’ media officer, Promise Efoghe provided this information in a statement he posted on the team’s official WhatsApp platform on Saturday evening while giving an update.

“Ola Aina has returned to England on the request of his club, Nottingham Forest. The Premier League side pleaded with Coach Austin Eguavoen to release the defender early,” Efoghe said.

“That is ahead of their big game against Arsenal in the English Premier League since Nigeria’s 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) ticket has been secured,” the media officer concluded.

READ ALSO: https://wavenewsng.com/sports/football/lookman-misses-super-eagles-training-due-to-knock/

This brings to two the number of players that have been ruled out of the final 2025 AFCON qualifier against Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The first player that was ruled out is the Super Eagles’ first-choice goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali whose father died on Friday morning, a sad news which he announced on his Instagram page.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and the Super Eagles head coach, Augustine Eguavoen thereafter decided to excuse the grieving Nwabali from the squad to confront the Amavubi of Rwanda.

Aina, meanwhile, came off for Bright Osayi-Samuel in the 82nd minute of Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Benin Republic at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday night.

Ademola Lookman missed the Super Eagles training session on Saturday due to a knock with the team preparing for its final 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Rwanda.

The Super Eagles’ media officer, Promise Efoghe revealed this in a statement he posted on the team’s official Whats App platform before their training commenced at 4.30 pm on Saturday.

“Ademola Lookman has been excused from today’s training session after suffering a knock in Thursday’s game against Benin Republic,” Efoghe wrote in an update on the Super Eagles’ camp.

READ ALSO: https://wavenewsng.com/news/ondo-decides-2024-governor-lucky-aiyedatiwa-leads-in-governorship/

It was, meanwhile, certain the Beninoise had done their job on Lookman who was ineffective almost throughout the game until he was replaced by Frank Onyeka in the added minutes of the second half.

The Atalanta attacker showed signs of frustration on the pitch as he did not get key passes that could set him up to get a goal or even put striker, Victor Osimhen in scoring opportunities.

The 27-year-old has two goals in the qualifiers. The Lega Serie A has, however, hailed the quartet of Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Maduka Okoye and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru over their qualification for the 2025 AFCON.

The Super Eagles secured qualification to the 35th AFCON slated to hold in Morocco even before kicking the ball on matchday 5 following Rwanda’s 1-0 loss to the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in Kigali.

Nigeria played out a 1-1 draw with Benin Republic at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday with Osimhen rescuing the Eagles from the jaws of another loss against the Cheetahs who beat them in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in June.

The Prime Minister of Biafra Government in Exile, Simon Ekpa, said the Biafra Under-19 Team featuring in a European football tournament signifies international recognition of Biafra independence.

Ekpa made this known in a statement on his official X handle on Saturday.

He noted that the development is an indication that Biafra has come to stay among the community of nations.

According to him, the Biafra team will be playing against SL Benfica, the UEFA Youth Championships winner, in the Algarva football tournament in Portugal on Saturday.

He said that the Biafran team will play all opponents to prove to the world and Nigerian government that Biafrans are indomitable and now have all government institutions functioning including the Ministry of Sports.

“It is gratifying to see that Biafra has come to stay.With the Biafra Under-19 team featuring in the Algarva Elite Football Tournament in Portugal, which commenced on November 14 and is expected to end on November 18, 2024.

“Biafra has succeeded. We will defeat all our opponents in the tournament to prove to the world and the Nigerian government that Biafrans are indomitable,” he said.

Recall that months ago, Ekpa announced the Biafra independence would be declared on December 2, 2024.

Ekpa said the creation of a national football team represents a significant move in the push for international recognition of Biafra as a separate entity.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles and 14 other countries have confirmed their place at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The Super Eagles qualification was sealed on Thursday thanks to Libya’s 1-0 win away to Rwanda in Kigali in Group D.

Despite confirming their place, the Eagles went on to battle the Benin Republic to a 1-1 draw following Victor Osimhen’s late header.

Aside from the Super Eagles, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda all confirmed their places on Thursday.

Tunisia clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory over Madagascar, courtesy of Ali El Abdi’s stoppage-time header, ensuring their record 18th consecutive AFCON appearance.

South Africa and Uganda advanced without taking to the pitch, cementing the top two places in Group K after Congo lost 3-2 to South Sudan.

Gabon qualified from Group B without playing, as their closest rival, the Central African Republic, lost 1-0 to Lesotho.

For four-time AFCON winners Black Stars of Ghana, their qualification hopes were revived after Sudan suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Niger, setting up a tense finish in Group F.

However, Ghana must win their remaining two fixtures and hope Sudan falter in their last match against Angola.

Also, Algeria, already qualified alongside Equatorial Guinea from Group E, dropped their first points of the campaign in a goalless draw against Equatorial Guinea in stifling Malabo heat.

The AFCON 2025 will be hosted by Morocco, December from 2025 to January 2026.

This is the second time Morocco will host the tournament, having first doing so in 1988.