A first-half brace from Victor Osimhen secured the win, marking Nigeria’s first triumph in the qualifiers. The Galatasaray forward opened the scoring in the 11th minute, skillfully finishing off an in-swinging free kick from African Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman. His second goal came in added time of the first half after a brilliant solo run from midfield, capped off with a deft chip over the Rwandan goalkeeper.
The victory propelled Nigeria from fifth to fourth place in Group C with six points, trailing leaders South Africa (10 points), second-placed Benin Republic (8 points), and Rwanda (7 points).
New head coach Eric Chelle fielded a formidable squad featuring Osimhen, Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, and Moses Simon in attack. Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi and Fulham’s Alex Iwobi controlled the midfield, while Calvin Bassey and Troost Ekong anchored the defense. Stanley Nwabali provided a solid presence in goal, with Bright Osayi-Samuel completing the lineup.
The Super Eagles now turn their focus to Tuesday’s home fixture against Zimbabwe in Uyo, where another victory could see them climb further up the table.