Nigeria, Rwanda to battle for 2026 World Cup qualifier Tuesday

Megastarmagazine – Assuredly, the Rwanda’s national football team, the Amavubi, is to arrive in Lagos on Tuesday ahead of their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Nigeria. A one-man advance delegation will reach Lagos on Monday, with the full team scheduled to land at 1:15 pm on Tuesday via RwandAir. The squad will then travel to Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, arriving by 4 pm the same day.

The Matchday 7 encounter is pivotal for both teams as they compete for a stronger position in Group H. Currently, South Africa leads the group with 13 points, pending FIFA’s review regarding the use of an ineligible player in their March victory over Lesotho. Rwanda and Benin Republic are tied on eight points, while Nigeria is fourth with seven points. Lesotho and Zimbabwe occupy the bottom positions with six and four points, respectively.

The Super Eagles and Amavubi have met twice recently at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium. Five months ago, Nigeria defeated Rwanda 2-0 in Kigali during Matchday 5. Nine months ago, Rwanda overturned a deficit to beat Nigeria 2-1 in a 2025 AFCON final-day qualifier at the same venue, though the victory was insufficient to secure qualification, as Benin Republic claimed the second spot behind Nigeria after drawing with Libya in Tripoli.

According to Uyo fixture, Rwanda will face bottom-placed Zimbabwe on Matchday 8, while Nigeria is scheduled to travel to Bloemfontein to face group leader South Africa.