Ntwari’s heroics deny Super Eagles in goalless AFCON qualifier
Eagles against Rwanda
Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Super Eagles of Nigeria and Rwanda played out a 0-0 draw in a fiercely contested AFCON qualifier in Kigali on Tuesday, with Rwanda’s goalkeeper, Fiacre Ntwari, putting in a remarkable performance by saving 10 shots on target.
Nigeria held a slight edge in ball possession, controlling 51% of the game while Rwanda managed 49%.
The Super Eagles also had more goal attempts, recording 21 compared to Rwanda’s 17. Despite their dominance in attack, the Nigerian side was unable to break through, thanks to Ntwari’s heroics between the posts.
A controversial moment came in the first half when Nigeria had a goal ruled out for offside.
Victor Boniface came close to scoring but saw his effort crashed off the crossbar. Moses Simon also had a great opportunity to break the deadlock in the second half, only to be denied by Rwanda’s well-organized defence.
Ademola Lookman had a promising chance to open the scoring, but once again, Ntwari came to the rescue for Rwanda.
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Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s star striker, had multiple opportunities late in the game, including a low shot and a header, but Ntwari continued his excellent form, making crucial saves.
In terms of set pieces, Rwanda earned three corner kicks compared to Nigeria’s seven. Both teams displayed discipline, with Nigeria being caught offside twice, while Rwanda had no offside infringements.
Nigeria’s goalkeeper made two vital saves during the match, but it was Ntwari’s 10 saves that kept the hosts in the game.
The physicality of the encounter was evident, as Rwanda committed 17 fouls and Nigeria 15, with both sides receiving two yellow cards.
Passing accuracy was evenly matched, with Nigeria completing 347 out of 418 passes, while Rwanda completed 328 out of 413. Tackles were also closely contested, with Nigeria recording eight and Rwanda nine. The attacking stats showed how evenly balanced the game was, with Nigeria mounting 41 dangerous attacks to Rwanda’s 40.
Following the draw, Nigeria tops Group D with four points from two matches, while Rwanda sit with two points. The other group match between Benin Republic and Libya will take place later in the day, potentially shaking up the standings.
