Rwanda Vs Nigeria: Super Eagles Coach Eguavoen, Troost-Ekong Talk Tough

The Super Eagles caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has expressed his team’s respect for the Amavubi of Rwanda and voiced their determination to secure a win in Kigali.

Note that Eguavoen and the Super Eagles of Nigeria are currently in Rwanda preparing to take on the Amavubi in their second 2025 AFCON qualifiers which will kick-off at 2 p.m. later today, September 10.

Ahead of the game, Eguavoen told a press conference that his players are not expected to underestimate their opponents, acknowledging that football has evolved and any team, including Rwanda, could pose a challenge.

“Whatever formation Rwanda comes up with tomorrow, we are ready, the country is full of expectations. It doesn’t matter who will play. They expect us to win,” Eguavoen said.

“We are here already; we respect Rwanda, but we are here to get a good result. They respect us; we do respect them, too.

“We will play them with respect. You don’t look down on teams these days because football has improved, when you underrate teams, you might get shocked.

“We will be on our feet; remember, any country that is playing against Nigeria will always try to raise their game. We have to be ready as well.”

Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong also acknowledged the strength of the Rwandan team and emphasized Nigeria’s readiness for the upcoming match.

He highlighted the importance of securing a win and the challenges they anticipate facing on the field.

Troost-Ekong said, “We came here with an objective which is to win the game.

“We are very happy to have coach Augustine Eguavoen back with us, also at this important time.

“We are one big family; we are missing a few guys who are regulars in the team. It’s a full house, we are ready for whatever Rwanda will throw at us.”

The defender added, “We are expected to win every game; we are motivated to win this game. The game against Benin Republic was good for us, but we expect things to be tough this time around.

“You can’t compare Benin and Rwanda. It’s going to be a huge challenge. A game away from home. They will be playing in front of their fans. It will be a huge challenge for us.”