Rwanda’s head coach, Torsten Spittler, has praised Nigeria’s formidable attack after his side secured a hard-fought 0-0 draw against the Super Eagles in their second match of the AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign.
Playing at the newly renovated Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali on Tuesday, in front of their president and other dignitaries, the Rwandan team managed to hold off a relentless Nigerian attack.
Despite Nigeria dominating the match and coming off a commanding 3-0 win over Benin Republic, the Amavubi displayed resilience and discipline to keep the match goalless.
There were controversial moments, with calls for Nigeria to have won the game. A goal by Ademola Lookman was disallowed, and a penalty shout for Victor Boniface, after he was brought down in the box, went unheard.
However, Rwanda stood firm and managed to avoid conceding.
Speaking after the match, Spittler expressed his satisfaction with his team’s defensive effort against one of Africa’s strongest footballing nations.
“I’m very happy not only because of the result but also the way we played. It’s always important that you make a good match, and then I said normally the results will come,” Spittler told reporters.
He acknowledged the quality of Nigeria’s attack, highlighting the Super Eagles’ strength upfront.
“Everybody could see this Nigerian team, especially the forward line, is world-class, and we also had a few chances where you could see the difference between our strikers and their strikers.”
Rwanda’s goalkeeper was named man of the match, a testament to how much pressure the Nigerian attack applied throughout the game.
With this draw, Nigeria now leads Group D with four points, following their win against Benin and the stalemate in Kigali.
Rwanda, on the other hand, has two points from their opening two games, having also drawn against Libya in their first match.
