International Football
TIGHT IN CHAN GROUP C AS NIGERIA’S GROUP TO BATTLE TILL LAST MATCHDAY
Rwanda’s 1-0 defeat of pointless Equatorial Guinea has made the last match day of the African Nations Championship Group C very competitive. The Super Eagles who beat the initial group leaders, Libya 1-0 on Friday will face the Equatorial Guineans who are already eliminated.
Nigeria will need at least a draw to comfortably cruise into the next round when the Super Eagles face debutants, Equatorial Guinea in Agadir on Tuesday.
But the other match of Rwanda and Libya in Tangiers will be keener. Libya will need a win to survive while Rwanda will be wary of dropping any point that could cause injury to their next round qualification.
Both Nigeria and Rwanda are tied on points and on every parameter. The last match day will decide on the final classification. The Super Eagles had taken the initial lead when a 79th minute goal by Sunday Faleye pushed Libya down the ladder.
Both teams fought a fierce and tactical battle on the turf of the Stade Ibn Batouta, but Nigeria, bronze medallists at the 2014 finals in South Africa, created more chances but just could not put them away, as happened against Rwanda in their opening match at the same venue on Monday.
There were very few notable moments in the first half, with both teams tackling each other hard at the vital areas, and the Eagles, who needed a win more having drawn their opener against the Amavubi, showing greater zest.
But the first remarkable moment only came in the 55th minute, when Faleye, operating from the left wing, sent an inviting cross into the vital area, but Emeka Ogbuh’s header did not trouble Libya’s goal –tender.
Six minutes later, Mustapha Ibrahim came in for the battling but largely ineffective Anthony Okpotu and Ekundayo Ojo also for Ifeanyi Ifeanyi 14 minutes later.
In the 79th minute, Faleye slammed home from an Osas Okoro’s corner kick, taking the Super Eagles to four points and ahead of the Libyans.
Faleye was good for a brace only three minutes later, as Nigeria broke down the middle, but substitute Ibrahim’s pass was cut out by the Libyan defence.
In the other match of the day, midfielder Thierry Manzi’s glancing header on 66 minutes was enough for Rwanda to secure victory over Equatorial Guinea.
The victory places Amavubi at the top of Group C with Nigeria who earlier edged Libya 1-0 on four points each. Rwanda’s Yannick Mukunzi played in Savio Nshuti who failed to hit the target when he faced the keeper Miguel Eyama after five minutes.
Eyama was again called into action midway through the first half coming out of his line to punch away Eric Rutanga’s left footed in swinger.
Equatorial Guinea’s Pedro Oba missed from close range after Rwanda goalie Eric Ndayishimiye fumbled a set piece to path but he hastily fired over on the half hour mark.
Amavubi started the second half with some neat exchanges in midfield and through the wings.
Midfielder Djihad Bizimana forced a save from Eyama four minutes after the restart collecting a pass out of the area and cuts in to his right before smashing a low drive which the keeper parried to keep the score level.
Pedro Oba caused the Rwandan defence problems and could have put Equatorial Guinea in front but failed to connect to cross when he was unmarked at the back post on 64 minutes.
He was made to pay for his missed opportunity when Manzi glanced in Bizimana’s corner from the left past the helpless Eyama to put the Amavubi in front.
Eyama pulled a magnificent acrobatic save on 83 minutes to deny substitute Muhadjiri Hakizimana from hitting Rwanda’s second.
The defeat knocks out Equatorial Guinea after they went down heavily against Libya in their first outing whiles Rwanda, Nigeria and Libya all have a chance of making the last eight.
Aliou Cisse has been named coach of the Angola national team, the country’s football federation (FAF) announced on Thursday, 24 hours after the Senegalese left his post in Libya.
The 50-year-old coach, who led Senegal to their maiden Africa Cup of Nations title in 2022, ended his short stint with the Libyan national team on Wednesday, after taking charge in March 2025.
“Welcome, Aliou Cisse, head coach of the Angola national team,” the FAF said on Facebook. Angola, which failed to reach this year’s World Cup, will start their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign in September.
-Reuters
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Nigeria’s Super Eagles were held to a 2-2 draw by FIFA World Cup-bound Jordan in an eventful international friendly in Antalya on Tuesday night, with the contest overshadowed by a late red card to Alex Iwobi.
Iwobi, making his 98th appearance for the national team, was sent off in the closing stages, capping a dramatic encounter in which Nigeria surrendered a first-half lead and finished the game with ten men.
The match, played at the Mardan Sports Complex, brought Nigeria’s March international window to a close, but it proved anything but routine as both sides delivered a fiercely contested and entertaining clash.
Jordan, ranked 64th in the world and enjoying strong recent form, struck first in the 17th minute through Mousa Tamari. A well-worked free-kick routine caught the Nigerian defence napping, allowing the forward to fire home the opener.
Nigeria responded quickly and thought they had equalised six minutes later when Raphael Onyedika finished from a Moses Simon cut-back, but the goal was controversially ruled out.
The Super Eagles eventually drew level in the 30th minute. Stand-in captain Moses Simon, earning his 97th cap, reacted fastest after Ademola Lookman’s effort was blocked, slotting home with a composed left-footed finish for his second goal in as many matches.
Nigeria went ahead four minutes before halftime when Bright Osayi-Samuel’s pinpoint cross found debutant Emmanuel Fernandez, who showed great composure to control and finish, giving the three-time African champions a 2-1 lead at the interval.
The second half took on a more physical tone, with goalkeeper Francis Uzoho forced off in the 57th minute after sustaining an injury while clearing the ball. Adebayo Adeleye replaced him between the posts.
Head coach Eric Chelle introduced Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi to shore up the midfield, but Jordan continued to press and were rewarded with an equaliser in the 77th minute.
Nigeria pushed for a winner late on, handing a senior debut to Philip Otele, while Samuel Chukwueze came on for Moses Simon. However, the closing moments were marred by Iwobi’s dismissal, leaving the Super Eagles to see out the match with ten men.
Despite the draw, the encounter offered valuable insights for the coaching crew as Nigeria continues preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
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By Kunle Solaja
Match Context
- Fixture: Jordan vs Nigeria
- Venue: Antalya, Turkey
- Occasion: Four-Nation Invitational Tournament
- Kick-off: Tuesday (evening)
They would have loved facing Jamaica in Mexico today for a place at the World Cup, but fate has other plans, and Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be taking on World Cup debutants Jordan in a friendly match instead in Turkey.
The encounter promises to be a revealing contest for both sides as preparations intensify for future global assignments.
The encounter, staged as part of a four-nation tournament in Turkey, will be the third meeting between the two countries, with the head-to-head record finely poised.
History Beckons in Third Meeting
Nigeria claimed a 2-0 victory in their first clash at the National Stadium, Lagos, on 28 April 2004 during the LG Cup.
However, the tables turned in 2013 when a largely experimental Nigerian side under the late Stephen Keshi suffered a 1-0 defeat in Amman, courtesy of a Hatem Aqel penalty.
This latest meeting now serves as the decider in what has quietly become a balanced rivalry.
Jordan arrive in buoyant mood, riding on the crest of a historic achievement, which is their first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup (2026).
Jordan’s Al-Nashama
Their recent form underlines a team growing in confidence and tactical discipline. In the past months, Al-Nashama have:
- Held Russia (0-0)
- Defeated Dominican Republic (3-0)
- Drawn with Mali (0-0)
- Narrowly lost to Bolivia (1-0) and Albania (4-2)
- Pushed Tunisia (3-2 loss) in a competitive encounter
They also opened this invitational tournament with a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica, further evidence of their resilience.
The team’s preparations have been boosted by a morale-lifting visit from Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association, during their Antalya training camp.
Coach Jamal Al-Salami has deliberately scheduled matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica, citing their stylistic similarity to World Cup opponents such as Argentina, Austria, and Algeria.
Despite missing several key players, including star forward Mousa Ta’mari, Jordan have continued to show depth, blending senior players with youth prospects as part of a broader developmental strategy.
Nigeria head into the clash with renewed confidence after a 2-1 victory over Iran in their opening game of the tournament, with goals from Moses Simon and Akor Adams.
Unlike previous meetings, the Super Eagles are expected to field a full-strength squad, packed with Europe-based stars, something Jordanian observers have already described as a “heavyweight challenge.”
The squad boasts a blend of experience and attacking flair.
The presence of multiple attacking options gives Nigeria a clear edge going forward, while their physicality and pace could pose serious problems for the Jordanians.
Jordan are expected to adopt a compact, disciplined shape, relying on quick transitions and defensive organisation, qualities that earned them results against stronger opposition in recent friendlies.
Nigeria, by contrast, will likely dominate possession, using width and individual brilliance to break down Jordan’s defensive lines.
The key battle may lie in midfield, where Jordan’s structure will be tested against Nigeria’s blend of strength, technique, and tempo.
For Jordan, this is another step in fine-tuning a squad preparing for its historic World Cup debut—a chance to measure themselves against elite opposition.
For Nigeria, it is an opportunity to assert authority, build cohesion among its star-studded squad, and maintain momentum ahead of more competitive fixtures.
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