AFCON
Behold! Rwanda’s Five-Point plan to stop the Super Eagles revealed
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.”
Ticket sales for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 will officially open on Monday, 13 October 2025, with an exclusive 48-hour pre-sale window reserved for Visa cardholders, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced.
Fans across Africa and around the world will be able to secure their seats for what promises to be the continent’s biggest football spectacle, which will run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
The special Visa pre-sale period will run from Monday, 13 October at 09:00 Moroccan time (08:00 GMT) until Wednesday, 15 October at 08:00 GMT, before general ticket sales open to all fans using other payment methods.
To streamline ticket purchases and enhance security, the Local Organizing Committee has launched the YALLA App, an integrated digital platform for fans to obtain their Fan ID — a mandatory requirement for buying tickets — and apply for E-Visas (AEVM) where necessary.
According to organizers, each registered Fan ID allows supporters to buy only one ticket per match, ensuring wider access and transparency in ticket distribution.
The process for obtaining tickets is straightforward:
- Download the YALLA App, available on Google Play and the App Store.
- Apply for a Fan ID and E-Visa (if required) through the app.
- Once approved, Visa cardholders can visit tickets.cafonline.com starting from Monday, 13 October at 09:00 Moroccan time (08:00 GMT) to purchase their AFCON 2025 tickets.
The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco is expected to deliver a festival of football and culture, with fans urged to complete their Fan ID registration early to avoid last-minute rushes.
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Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Coach Augustine Eguavoen, has strongly condemned media reports suggesting that he is being considered to take over as Super Eagles Head Coach ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) should current handler Eric Chelle fail to secure qualification for next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Speaking on Wednesday, the former Super Eagles captain described the reports as false, misleading, and damaging, insisting that he maintains a cordial and professional relationship with Coach Chelle.
“I feel very hurt by these baseless rumours because I really have no idea where they are coming from,” Eguavoen said. “I have a very good working relationship with Coach Eric Chelle, and I have absolutely no interest in taking over the squad. I am praying for him to succeed.”
Eguavoen, who has previously served as interim head coach of the national team, expressed frustration that such speculation was resurfacing, warning that it could undermine team unity ahead of major assignments.
“This was how the same speculators created schism and disaffection between myself and Gernot Rohr, and later José Peseiro, when they coached the Super Eagles at different periods,” he recalled. “It is uncalled-for. We all need to work together to see the Super Eagles qualify for the World Cup and win the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.”
The NFF Technical Director reiterated his commitment to supporting the technical crew and fostering a collaborative atmosphere that will enable Nigeria’s senior team to achieve its set goals.
“Our collective focus should be on progress, not distractions,” he added. “Everyone in the system is working towards one goal — success for Nigeria.”
The Super Eagles are currently deep in preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, while their FIFA World Cup qualification campaign resumes later this year.
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AFCON
Nigerians, other nationals can apply, as CAF and Morocco Launch Volunteer Programme for AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Morocco have launched the official Volunteer Programme for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, billed to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
According to CAF, more than 4,000 volunteers will be recruited to play a central role in ensuring the success of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, which will be staged across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco.
Applications are now open at volunteers.cafonline.com and will close on 8 October 2025. The opportunity is open to anyone above the age of 18.
Volunteers will be deployed across multiple functional areas, including media operations, spectator services, accreditation, hospitality, and fan engagement. Selected individuals will receive professional training ahead of the competition and work behind the scenes to deliver a memorable AFCON.
CAF stated that the programme is designed not only to support tournament operations but also to create an alumni network of skilled Africans who can contribute to future sporting events across the continent. Successful applicants will benefit from:
- Training and skill development.
- Official uniforms and certificates of participation.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals.
- The chance to contribute to Africa’s football legacy.
Volunteer registration opened on 17 September 2025. Selection and training will take place in October and November, with operations commencing in mid-December through to the tournament’s conclusion on 18 January 2026.
CAF described the initiative as an “exciting opportunity” for Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s flagship sporting event, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to Morocco.
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