Sports Village Square has gathered intelligent reports on what the Rwandan national team, Amavubi, intends to do to stop the Super Eagles in Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers.

Rwanda will host Nigeria at Amahoro Stadium  in Match day 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier. Nigeria currently leads the group and another win coupled with a possibility of a draw in the Benin versus Libya match may give the Super Eagles a breakaway lead from the pack of four.

The Rwandans who still have two other confrontations with the Super Eagles in the World Cup qualifying series are not leaving anything to chances. According to the country’s leading newspaper, The New Nation, a five-point plan has been mapped out,

PLAN NO. 1: Destroy Nigeria’s aging backline

They believe the backline of the Super Eagles has aged, pointing out that Augustine Eguavoen’s three-man backline against Benin with Skipper Williams Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi and Calvin Bassey is ageing and could be exploited. The trio has a combined age of 85.

Skipper Troost-Ekong is 31, Ajayi is 30 and Bassey is 24. According to the report, “aside the latter who is fast, Troost-Ekong and Ajayi are slow and it was clearly seen from the game with Benin that, though they are aggressive, they lacked the needed pace.

“This is an area where the likes of Gilbert Mugisha can explore to great effects. He can latch onto long balls as he normally does and run at the two players with pace and give them a hard time. He can either score with his pace or get Amavubi a penalty.”

PLAN NO. 2: Cut Ola Aina’s crosses from the right

The Rwandans will also be focusing on Ola Aina. Here is their plan on him:

“The former Chelsea winger is one of the unsung heroes in the Super Eagles from the left flank. He is capable of playing as a right wingback or a normal full back in a back four.

“Aina’s main attributes are his ability to get into key areas and deliver crosses to the opposing side’s box. Gilbert Mugisha, who operates on the left wing for Amavubi must put pressure on Aina so that he doesn’t get the chance to overlap and cause havoc.”

PLAN NO. 3: Man-mark Ademola Lookman

The Rwandans are looking at Ademola Lookman, a possible 2024 African Footballer of the Year winner.  Here is their information on him:

“The Atalanta forward was unplayable against Benin netting two superb goals as Nigeria cruised to an emphatic 3-0 win.

“Lookman is a versatile forward who can operate from both flanks and also as a number 10. Wherever he will play against Amavubi, Fitina Omborenga, Claude Niyomugabo or even also Bonheur Mugisha must man-mark him to keep him out of the game.”

PLAN NO. 4: Leave no space for Osimhen

Expectedly, maskman, Victor Osimhen is a marked man. The Rwandans have the following information on him:

“Amavubi’s defence, especially Ange Mutsinzi, has an arduous task to mark the newly signed Galatasaray forward who is expected to start in Kigali.

“He came from the bench to net the second goal against Benin in the 78th minute on Saturday. Osimhen is an 18-yard box striker who hardly misses chances in that area.

“Whether in the air or on the ground, Mutsinzi must keep an eye on the prolific attacker throughout the game.”

PLAN NO. 5: Amavubi must have self-confidence

The overall assesment that is put to the Rwandan team runs thus: “Under Spittler, Amavubi have been superb as, in seve games in all competitions, they have won three matches drawn three and lost once. They have also scored six goals and conceded only twice.

“Rwanda defeated the likes of South Africa and Lesotho which Nigeria struggled against during the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Though football defies logic, this should be a big morale booster ahead of Nigeria clash.

“With Amahoro Stadium set to be filled to capacity, Rwanda hopes to get the needed home support and can go all out for a famous victory against one of Africa’s football giants.”

Group D table toppers in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series, the Super Eagles of Nigeria are already in Kigali ahead of Tuesday’s encounter with Rwanda.

 If events go according the the team’s managers’ script, the Super Eagles will consolidate their lead and be halfway into qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations.

 Their arrival in Kigali aboard ValueJet has already sent a wave of fears across Rwanda owing to the latest recovery of form.

 They top the group and are the only side in Group D yet to pick the ball from their own net and also the only side to have scored multiple of goals.

Libya and Rwanda played 1-1 draw in the group’s other match. While Nigeria will be playing against Rwanda at Amahoro Stadium on Tuesday, Benin Republic will be hosting away from home in Abidjan, the Libyan national team.

Rwanda, being coached by Germany’s Frank Spittler, is ambitious of a first Africa Cup qualification since 2004.

Rwanda’s Amavubi will be playing their biggest match in ages when they face the Super Eagles on Tuesday in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. There is so much buzz around the encounter as Rwanda, though making waves in World Cup 2026 qualifiers, have not qualified for the AFCON since 2004.

Head coach Torsten Spittler of Germany initially remarked that he cannot promise the country qualification to the 2025 AFCON although it’s a dream he wants to achieve.

Just like he said prior to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Spittler insists his aim is to win all AFCON 2025 qualifying matches.

“Every team wants to qualify but I cannot promise anything. My target is to win every game in the qualifying phase and if those wins can take us in Morocco, we will be glad,” Spittler told the press.

“We have been performing well and I hope we get the perfect start we need by getting the needed results against Libya and Nigeria.”

“For Libya, information on them is very scanty but for Nigeria we know a lot about them and their world class players. Yes, It is true I asked my friend Gernot Rohr (Benin head coach) on how to beat Nigeria,” he added.