Nigeria 1-0 Rwanda: Arokodare gives Super Eagles glimmer of hope in 2026 WCQ despite Osimhen blow

The Super Eagles returned to winning ways in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers on Saturday with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Soccernet.ng reports.

Following Nigeria's poor start to the World Cup Qualifiers, they were condemned to win all their remaining games in the series to stand a chance of qualifying.

Before the Super Eagles got onto the pitch against Rwanda on Saturday, most of the players maintained that they still had a good chance of qualifying and would put in their all to claim all three points against Rwanda and the rest of their fixtures.

Your #SuperEagles to face Rwanda

©️ Ndidi leads the side
️ Frederick & Bassey hold it down in defense
Osimhen x Lookman spearhead the attack#Naija4theWin #SoarSuperEagles #NGARWA pic.twitter.com/ZWKKfYzMGn

— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) September 6, 2025

However, it didn't look like that when the game started. Nigeria dominated the play, but they struggled to convert their dominance to clear opportunities.

The first real chance of the game fell to Victor Osimhen, who attempted a shot from the edge of the area, but it was an easy save for Fiacre Ntwari in Rwanda's goal, as the shot lost its sting due to a deflection.

Just a few minutes later, it looked like Osimhen had scored after getting on the end of a square ball in the box. But the goal was ruled out for offside.

Just a few minutes later, it looked like tragedy had struck, as Osimhen dropped to the turf, reeling in pain after he was tackled beside the box.

Looks a nasty ankle injury for Victor Osimhen.

Positive was being able to walk off, medics must now work to get him ready in Bloemfontein.

Fingers crossed. #2026WCQ pic.twitter.com/KBStBRMG9M

— MikeThePundit (@Mike_ThePundit) September 6, 2025

Nonetheless, after getting some attention from the medics, he quickly got back on his feet and continued.

But after a couple of minutes, the Galatasaray star hit the turf again and had to be replaced by Cyriel Dessers in what was a big blow for the Super Eagles.

Dessers put himself about, but he did not get a lot of service in the final third, as the Super Eagles lacked the creativity And so, the first half eventually ended goalless.

Before the restart, coach Eric Chelle decided to replace Frank Onyeka with Arokodare, and that gave Nigeria an oomph in the final third.

The Super Eagles pumped a barrage of attacks into Rwanda's area, and that eventually caused Nigeria's goal, as Arokodare capitalized on the melee in the box and simply knocked the ball into the net from the goal line.

New Wolves signing Tolu Arokodare with the lone goal as Nigeria claim a first home win in the 2026 World Cup qualifying.

Their two wins in the Group have come against the East Africans.pic.twitter.com/bbiR8OCvzf

— Olúwashínà Okeleji (@oluwashina) September 6, 2025

After that, Nigeria began to grow confident in the final third and started to create chances. Opportunities fell to players like Lookman, Dessers, and Moses Simon, but Fiacre Ntwari was in his elements and made some blinding saves.

However, the last ten minutes were tense for the Super Eagles, as Rwanda grew into the game and started pushing for an equalizer.

Nonetheless, Chelle's lads held on to finish the game 1-0.

What Does The Super Eagles' Victory Mean For Their World Cup Hopes?

Nigeria's victory over Rwanda takes them to 10 points after seven games. But they are still six points behind group leaders South Africa and a point behind Benin with three games left.

This means that the Super Eagles must defeat South Africa in their next game on Tuesday and hope that the results in other centers go their way.

The win over Rwanda definitely doesn't take Nigeria out of the woods yet. But it is definitely a step in the right direction.