World Cup Qualifier: Osimhen, Onyemaechi, amongst early birds in Kigali

Nigeria is second from bottom with three points from four matches, with Zimbabwe languishing at the bottom of the six-team log.

News Agency of Nigeria • March 17, 2025

Victor Osimhen and Bruno Onyemaechi

Victor Osimhen and Bruno Onyemaechi were among the early birds on Sunday night as the Super Eagles’ camp started to bubble ahead of a crucial World Cup qualifying duel with Rwanda.

The Amavubis of Rwanda will host the Super Eagles at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday from 5:00 p.m.

Ahead of the potential blockbuster encounter, the Super Eagles camp at the Radisson Blu hotel in Kigali has started to swell with the arrival of Osimhen, Onyemaechi and four other players.

Promise Efoghe, the Super Eagles’ media officer, said the number of players in camp had risen to six as of Monday morning.

He added that Eric Chelle, the new coach who will be having his first stint with the team, had also arrived at the camp with the full complement of his crew and backroom staff on Sunday.

“Also in Chelle’s company were the two home-based players, Kayode Bankole and Papa Daniel Mustapha. Osimhen and Onyemaechi were on ground with them.

“The number of players swelled to six early Monday morning with the arrival of Amas Obasogie and Tolu Arokodare,” he said.

The race towards a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup enters a crucial stage on Monday (today) when the African qualifiers resume across the continent.

For the first time, the global showpiece will have a guaranteed nine representatives from Africa and a possible tenth in the newly expanded version.

The 2026 World Cup is set to take place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico between June 11 and July 19, 2026.

With four rounds of matches already played, match day five of the qualifiers has lined up some appetising encounters.

The race to a top finish that guarantees qualification gradually takes shape.

With three draws and a loss to their campaign, the Super Eagles will be looking at securing their first win when they take on table toppers Rwanda in Group C on Friday.

Rwanda lead Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with seven points and a better goal difference than South Africa and Benin, who also have seven points.

Nigeria is second from bottom with three points from four matches, with Zimbabwe languishing at the bottom of the six-team log.

(NAN)

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.