The full roster of 24 nations set to compete in the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is now confirmed, with Mozambique clinching the final spot after defeating Guinea-Bissau 2-1 on Tuesday.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles concluded their Africa Cup of Nations Group D qualifiers with a shocking 2-1 loss to Rwanda. The match, held on Monday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, showcased the underdog’s resilience as the Rwandan side came from behind to secure victory. However, Nigeria had already qualified for AFCON 2025 in Morocco, finishing top of the group with 11 points. Samuel Chukwueze gave Nigeria the lead in the 59th minute, delighting the home crowd. Rwanda, however, quickly responded, with Aimable Mutinzi equalising in the 72nd minute. Just three minutes later, Imanishimwe Nshuti completed the comeback, sealing a memorable win for Rwanda. The first half ended goalless, with both teams missing opportunities to take control. In the second half, Nigeria’s early dominance faltered as Rwanda capitalised on defensive lapses. Nshuti, who was later booked for time-wasting, emerged as the hero for the visitors. Despite the defeat, Nigeria topped Group D with three wins, two draws, and one loss, earning 11 points. Benin and Rwanda both finished with 8 points, but Benin secured second place on goal difference to join Nigeria in the tournament proper. Libya finished at the bottom of the group with 5 points.
Interim head coach Austin Eguavoen has named Victor Boniface and Kelechi Iheanacho to lead the Super Eagles attack against the Amavubis of Rwanda in today’s AFCON 2025 deadrubber qualifying clash. In the absence of Stanley Nwabali, Maduka Okoye will be in goal while Bright Osayi-Samuel, Gabriel Osho, William Troost Ekong are in the heart of defence. Bruno Onyemachi, Frank Onyedika, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, and Moses Simon are saddled with midfield role. The substitutes are; Amas Obasogie, Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Calvin Bassey, Victor Osimhen, Sadiq Umar, Jamilu Collins and Samuel Chukwueze. The tie is slated to kick off at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium at 5pm Nigeria time.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles will go all out for victory against Rwanda on Monday, even with leadership of group D and a ticket to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco secured, says Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen. The three-time African champions are determined to sustain their recent form and spirit ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers that resume in four months, and Coach Augustine Eguavoen believes the absence of grieving goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, defender Olaoluwa Aina and in-form forward Ademola Lookman will not stop their momentum. First-choice goalkeeper Nwabali has been excused from camp to visit family and relations following the demise of his father, and English Premier League side Nottingham Forest begged for wing-back Olaoluwa Aina to be allowed to fly back to the United Kingdom for a crucial tie, with Nigeria already qualified for the AFCON. Rapid-raider Ademola Lookman, with two goals in the qualifiers like team mate Victor Osimhen, suffered a knock in the front end of this window’s double-header, against Benin Republic’s Cheetahs in Abidjan on Thursday, and left camp on Saturday. The Super Eagles are not unaware of the fact that the Amavubi are in the same 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying group with them, and that they (Rwanda) are the next opponents when the World Cup qualifying campaign resumes in March 2025. Monday’s encounter will see the return of former number one safe hands Maduka Okoye, and Bright Osayi-Samuel could start at right wing-back in the absence of Aina, with Bruno Onyemaechi at left wing-back, and Captain William Ekong and Calvin Bassey at centre-back. Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Frank Onyeka, Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika are still the options in the middle. Victor Osimhen, whose goal earned the one point in Abidjan that took Nigeria to the top of the pool, will hope to score against the Amavubi, having come quite close a number of times when he joined the fray as a second-half substitute in Kigali in September. He also has the target of overtaking former captain Olusegun Odegbami on the goals’ tally for Nigeria. The absence of Lookman means so much will be expected from fit-fighting and usually-dependable Moses Simon, with Samuel Chukwueze, Sadiq Umar, Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Boniface all in the race for slots in the fore.
Interim Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen has excused grieving first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali from the Super Eagles’ squad to confront the Amavubi of Rwanda in Monday’s final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Uyo. “He has been excused from the game. However, the player will come to watch the match and cheer his team mates on,” Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor, told thenff.com. The player announced via his social media handle on Friday that his father, Godspower Onyekam Abali, Chief Onyeogazrim 1 of Okwuzi, had passed on. The former chief surveyor was 67.
The Nigeria Football Federation has commiserated with Super Eagles’ number one goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, who lost his father in the morning of Friday, 15th November 2024. The South Africa-based Nwabali announced the sad news on his Instagram page on Friday morning. NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “We are shocked and saddened to hear of the demise of Stanley Nwabali’s father. Coming a day after the player featured in the match that won us the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations ticket, it made for a day of low morale as we flew from Abidjan to Uyo. “The death of a parent is always a thing of deep sorrow and sadness. However, we want Stanley to take heart in the fruitful and fulfilled life that his father lived, and we pray that the Almighty will grant him eternal rest, and also grant Stanley and other members of the family the fortitude to bear the big loss.”
Group winners Nigeria and final-day opponents Rwanda have both landed at the Obong Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo ahead of Monday’s Matchday 6 clash in the concluding round of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Deflated but not altogether supine, the Amavubi still have a mathematical chance of qualifying, though the supposition is not actually in their favour. They missed a big opportunity to enhance their chances when losing at home to Libya’s Mediterranean Knights on Thursday, and can only make it to Morocco 2025 if they defeat Nigeria in Uyo and Libya are victorious against Benin Republic’s Cheetahs in North Africa on Monday. The Super Eagles, confirmed group winners, have nothing to chase other than national pride, and will play a more relaxed game against the visitors than the turgid contest with the Cheetahs at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan on Thursday night. Nigeria’s delegation flew from the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, to Uyo aboard a chartered ValueJet aircraft, arriving at 3.50pm. Rwanda’s delegation flew from Kigali to Lagos aboard a regular Rwandair flight, arriving at 1pm, before boarding an Ibom Air flight to Uyo. They landed in Uyo just before 5pm. Uyo’s magnificent Godswill Akpabio Stadium is the venue, and a carnival atmosphere is expected as the Super Eagles celebrate for 90 minutes and afterwards with the AFCON ticket long in the bag. Both countries battled to a scoreless draw in their first confrontation in Kigali in September, though the jury is still out on Ademola Lookman’s first-half headed goal that was inexplicably chalked off by the Moroccan referee. Incidentally, another Moroccan will be in the role of referee on Monday. 44-year-old Samir Guezzaz takes the stage in the centre at the game that kicks off at 5pm. Guezzaz alongside his compatriots Zakaria Brinsi (assistant 1), Abdessamad Abertoune (assistant 2) and Kech Chaf Mustapha (fourth official) are scheduled to arrive in Nigeria on Saturday, same as Prosper Harrison Addo from Ghana (commissioner) and Ali Mohamed Ahmed from Somalia (referee assessor).
Nigeria’s Super Eagles has qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) without kicking a ball on Thursday. Libya’s 1-0 win in Rwanda guarantees Nigeria a top-two finish in Group D, and means Benin will join the Super Eagles at the tournament if they win their all-West African meeting this evening. Nigeria currently tops the Group with 10 points, Benin Republic placed second with 6 points while Rwanda and Libya are at the rock-bottom of the log with five and four points respectively.
