Rwanda bounced back from their defeat to Benin Republic with a 1-0 win against Lesotho in Group C, matchday 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.
The win saw Rwanda, on seven points, reclaim top spot after four games.
It is Rwanda’s second win in the qualifying campaign (one draw, one loss).
Jojea Kwizera got the only goal of the match in the 45th minute which Rwanda held till the end of the game.
In another Group C game, Bafana Bafana of South Africa defeated Zimbabwe 3-1.
Iqraam Rayners opened scoring for South Africa just a minute into the game before Tawanda Chirewa equalised for Zimbabwe just a minute later.
Ten minutes into the second half South Africa restored their lead thanks to Thapelo Morena.
In the 76th minute Morena got his second of the game to put South Africa 3-1 ahead.
South Africa, on seven points go up to second position while Zimbabwe remain bottom on two points.
Super Eagles of Nigeria who are yet to register a win after four games are in fifth place on three points.
22 Comments
Unless something urgent is done. We’re not beating this Rwandan team at their home ground. Imagine me even praying for a draw. Ah God Abeg O!!
South African fans will never forgive their team if they bottle this like Arsenal. The stars are aligning in the mini-league for them. Even if they slip up like Arsenal, Nigeria is no Man City and City is no Guardiola to seize the chance and win the league on the last match day.
The Mumu Finidi could not borrow a leaf from what Westerhof did to unearth him. Warned him to open camp two weeks before the matches and make the over rated foreign based beg to enter the team. He didn’t rather waiting for full house and then the strike
At a point Iheanacho was complaining about the number of players in camp. This should never have happened if the camp began with homebased players. He lost a rare opportunity given him on a platter. An irrecoverable one at that.
Next time borrow a leaf from the late Keshi and Siasia. They have tasted success using home based to start camp early.
The dumb Finidi still get mouth de talk u can imagine him no get shame if he is honorable he should do the needful resign go for a refresher course upgrade himself cos he has failed woefully naija don become source ridiculous poet for other African country and mumi Finidi still get mouth to talk rubbish when GR was our coach we qualify for major tournament with ease chaii I weep for my dear 9ja
What shame are you expecting him to have. He is clearly speaking the truth. Who caused us the game? was it him or the defenders who were ball watching.
Why are you guys like this? Let’s agree that the defenders were ball watching and made mistakes which is inevitable in football. Can you confidently decode a playing pattern in that team? Even while losing was there a change in playing pattern pressure from the Nigerian team to cause discomfort to the beninoise defence? The team lack confidence and a leader. Finidi does not inspire confidence. In one of his interviews, he was saying so long as the players knows when to defend and when to attack because they are experienced players…the team will be fine. For me..that points to a coach who is not taking matters into his own hands. With FINIDI in charge…. Nigeria will not get better. He does not command his dressing room. In the match against South African…there was a point where he was ditching instructions to iheanacho… iheanacho body’s language was like I can not kill myself.
Why call him MUMU, if he had stamped his foot and closed camp against the late comers, it is the same fans that will call for his head, what was Bassey, Ajayi, Iwobi doing after the league ender on May 19th. That’s 3 weeks before the qualifiers. Can you tell us when they came to camp?. This should tell you some players are making themselves indispensable. It’s glaring to the eyes that some players just need to be shown the door. And i hope he does that. All he needs is assemble local players since he is based at home more. The super eagles need a team B. But does the NFF have the funds to cater for them.
@Kenneth. you always defend the undefendable. Why are you like that. Even the players don’t give a hoot about Finito. No one gives that which he hasn’t got. Everyone knows, but you, that Finito hasn’t got anything to offer in terms of technical know-how when it comes to coaching. He is a rookie as Dr Drey rightly described him. Okay, why did Tella even declined his invitation to play for Nigeria? If NFF fails to sack Finito by next year, a lot of these high rated players may not even honor Finito’s invitation to camp. It was a bad idea to employ a home-based manager, particularly one who did not get a big job like this after 15 years in the waiting. No one respects his judgement or what Finito brings to the table. And you can’t blame them.
Very funny, please what exactly was the coach’s fault in the game. You clearly had players who were not hungry. Well if they can’t respect him, then he has the power to keep them out. You sound like someone thats was in camp to know all this. Please come off this assumption stuff you trying to present. When it’s time to call out the players you all keep mute and channel the blame elsewhere. Was it finidi that told the players to be passing back to their opponent. Semi ajayi was a casualty. Abeg leave the coach out of this. Tell your European serious to be more serious. National Games are also important
They will drop point, they will drop points…..as if we can win 7 straight WCQ games on a bounce with this wheel-barrow pusher they call a coach.
3 teams are now are 4 points ahead of us now.
I just took a look at the remaining fixtures in the WCQ and discovered SA will be playing ALL their remaining matches in South Africa. Benin will most likely play their “home” games vs SA in SA since they will be playing an away game vs Zimbabwe in SA 3 days earlier.
So SA will play 3 home games and 3 “away” games at home.
Oya so pe O ti Lo……LMAooo
We have 9 whole months to our next WCQ……if we will do what has never been done in the history of Nigerian football (with 6 straight WCQ in the final rounds) NFF must sack this wheel barrow pusher and his quack techinal assistants and get us a VERY COMPETENT FOREIGN COACH.
FINI-SHIT MUST GO…!!! Before he will ‘finish’ us completely.
I will put this out there, this group is South Africa’s to lose.
Can Nigeria win 6 straight games? It is doable but not with Finidi in charge.
I would emphasise what Dr Drey and most have stated, Please Please, NFF, do something competent for once and get a Capable Foreign coach. Spare no funds. The situation is dire. We can’t trust Finidi against Rohr, Broos and a Torsten Spittler, the German coach of Rwanda, who’s vastly experience with stints as sporting technical directors all over, from Canada, Germany, Mozambique and more. Finidi will be tactically manhandled by the aforementioned. He is in a desperate state, and we all saw how he reacts in such situations. He panics and commits tactical blunders!
The only news I need to hear is Finidi has been relieved of his duties and we are getting an efficient foreign coach. And it must be done ASAP. or we can kiss the world cup goodbye and the AFCON qualification too could be under threat.
With the kind of leaders we have. God help us.
Those who think we will win our 6 remaining matches are under the influence of unclean spirits…..LMAOoo
We can defeat all other teams away from home…..but this current SA team…with their brand of football….and with Hugo Broos in charge….? The best we will get away would be a draw. In our last 2 matches they have come out as the better side and in our last 4 visits to SA we have only managed to come back home with draws.
The team chemistry that comes from having as much as 9 players from a constant CAF CL semifinalist like Mamelodi Sundows in the national squad alone is something we cannot crack. When we inist our NPFL clubs need to be getting to the semifinals of continental competitions regularly, ‘e get why’.
Our best bet (that is if we do away with this janitor we call a coach and get a real coach) is to qualify for the playoffs…..and the playoffs is as tracherous as trekking from Nigeria to Libya via the Sahara.
There is no remedy for Finidi…you just need to go and re-watch his Enyimba team’s continental matches to know that this man just doesn’t have it to tactically compete internationally. He is a bottom of the pyramid coach….simple and short.
There is no medicine for incompetence……If I didn’t dey, it didn’t dey….!!!
I think SA is a good side, well-structured and organise and off course with a competent coach in Broos; not trying to draw false optimism, but I do think they are beatable. I believe winning 6 straight matches is possible. As much as they are improved, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Benin, Lesotho can be beaten. BUT not with Finidi!
He simply doesn’t have it. A high percentage of player’s belief and mojo to perform comes from the Coach. Finidi is not that coach. From his match day team selection, players positioning, tactics, reading of the game, player changes etc. He just doesn’t cut it.
I reiterate; with Finidi, we are done. To keep the dream alive whether qualifying straight or through the playoff, we need a capable foreign coach.
@Dr drey zukwanu ike.
The way you have ‘zukwanuike-ed’ after the Rohr you so much hated and undermined wedged a pit latrine hole with your mouth since 2 days ago ehn kwa…?!
Quite unfortunate my brothers, the Super Eagles have regressed a lot consider the identity of the teams they play and the performances shown.
Ocourse, Finidi has 70 percent of the blames, the rest goes to the players themselves. How could someone explain that he didn’t even talk to the players who willingly choosed not to be in the camp on time after their respective league seasons were concluded. Was that not over pampering or would l say lack of control over his team by the coach. Atleast, they should have been made to tender apologies even if the nationwide strike caused some infusions here and there.
By the way, those two matches have come and gone so, we now have our own destiny in our own hands.
Ahh! Finidi why nah. Wot is really going on? Is it that the barber lacks some technical knowhow or that the clippers are not sharp? You have disappointed us big time brother even if Amuneke has always been my own choice bt some of us had to give you the support when the nff came up with their crab against Amuneke.
But, like l said earlier, let’move forward.
If u are retained as the coach before our next set of games, pls, pls, pls:
1. U need to build ur confidence to axe some underperforming players like Onuachi, Iheanacho, Chukwueze, Tabimu? or consider most of them bench players.
2. Talk less even to the press and do more by learning to master some more technical or tactical techniques of modern games including their tactics,
3. The players must start to play faster with emphasis on creativity,balance and team work. Total football is what the team needs at the moment. In that way, you can be able to make every part of the team function optimally and fish out those lazy and bad players within the team .Im most games, their transitional play has revealed much technical inadequacies in some of the players yet we keep calling them out senior players and all of those names. You need to watch Ghana games and the rest of them to see how slow ur own team has always played compared to other big teams.
4. You need to as fast as possible, invite more creative and mobile players in ur team now because we obviously lack creativity in midfield. The present ones are good but lack some skills sets to unbalance other teams with their creativity and movements. Currently, you need the likes of Chiderah Ejuke of Royal Antwerp and a few other skillful players in your team. You shouldn’t be too arrogant, stubborn or myopic that you didnt
realize that we shouldn’t allow such talents to vanish just like that bcos of some clumpsy excuses from a section of the people.
5. Work on your defence. Most of them are too slow and sluggish especially the central defenders.
Your fullbacks too are not the best they should be for the moment.
6. Finally, you need to be in total control of your team. Be bold to establish team unity, disciple and respect. Be intelligent and brave enough when dealing with the players and the nff.
You need the respect of your team at all times.
We learnt some very valuable lessons in the two games that Finidi oversaw as Super Eagles head coach in these 2 world cup qualifiers. These include:
– The Super Eagles have players who can rise from adversity (vs South Africa).
– The Super Eagles have players who can take the lead (vs Benin).
– The Super Eagles midfield can indeed be creative (in the two games).
– The Super Eagles can knuckle down and put pressure on opponents (in the two games).
– The Super Eagles can take the fight to the opposition (in the two games).
The variables above are positives that are inescapable. So, it is now up to the sports ministry, NFF and the federal government to build on these positives to help Nigeria come second in the group and qualify for the inter-continental playoffs to give us a flying chance of qualifying for the world cup.
Winning the group is possible but seems very improbable; but coming second is very possible indeed. If these 3 powerful stakeholders are serious, if they have the interest of soccer-loving Nigerians at heart, they will but heads together to fashion out a credible world cup qualification recovery strategy to navigate Nigeria’s ambitions back on track.
At the heart of this strategy will be the immediate disbanding of the current Finidi George-led management team. And then, specific job requirements to be drawn up with roles and responsibilities of a coach that is vastly experienced in successfully recovering a lost course in football competitions.
There are very many such coaches out there; coaches that have snatched league status survival from the deadly jaws of relegation. Very many of such coaches will be queuing up to have a crack at rescuing Nigeria’s flailing world cup qualification ambitions.
And we have players fired up to drag Nigeria out of the mud.
A panel made up of foreign recruitment specialists should be tasked with identifying, shortlisting and recommending the successful candidate to the NFF. Between the NFF, sports ministry and the federal government, they should spare no expense to bring the successful candidate on board. This is very doable between these 3 stakeholders.
I want to thank Finidi for his efforts; he did his best but he needed to hit the ground running. Just 1 win in 4 games (2 friendlies and 2 competitive games) is not good enough. Yes, he (Finidi) faced structural problems, but on the pitch, his tactical and technical injections, along with team selections and player arrangements were gravely inadequate for success required as Super Eagles coach.
Finidi now has to go (I say that without grudge to him).
Federal government, sports ministry and the NFF, come together to engage older vastly experienced coaches like Sam Allardyce, Tony Pulis who have track record of rescuing a sinking ship.
Retaining Finidi also shows me that the NFF, sports ministry and the federal government are not as emotionally engage and invested in the Super Eagles world cup ambitions like majority of the fans. Believe me, it we fans can set up a Go-Fund-Me page to raise the funds to employ a competent coach, we will.
But why should it come to that. I am down on my knees for these 3 powerful stakeholder to do the needful; the Super Eagles brand cannot be left to fade into oblivion!
@ deo, it’s a shame that you all are still calling out the coach and the NFF for games that was the players fault. Don’t know which game you watched, but you could tell that some of the boys were not hungry one bit, and they have displayed this numerous of times. When the locals coach them it’s one excuse or the other, but when the white man coaches them it’s always a pass. I wonder if Finidi had decided to discipline or ban those that came late to camp, what would be the reaction of the fans. Mind you Ajayi, Bassey, iwobi were available 3 weeks to the qualifiers, maybe you can tell us why they came to camp late. There must be commitment from the players too. The loss lies at the feet of the players, they clearly lost concentration. I keep wondering will the game be paused for the coaches to bring them back to reality. Was Benin fantastic, absolutely NO. Are you now suggesting we approach our games with the way we did at Afcon. How then would we win games.
‘Believe me, it we fans can set up a Go-Fund-Me page to raise the funds to employ a competent coach, we will.’
@deo
Totally with you on that.
I appreciate your recommendations of coaches, Big Sam and Tony Pulis are really coaches for survival. But what happens after the qualification? I am thinking long term. A coach that can bring the balance and stability. That is what is propelling the Falcons right now.
I think the Super Eagles need a Coach with a winning mentality. A coach that will instill self-belief in the team. A coach in the mold of a Mourinho, someone like Pitso. But I know that it is a tall order getting coaches like that.
So, I don’t mind your recommendations, at least to help us qualify. So far, they get rid of Finidi.
Finidi is not a coach, 1, know game plan,2, know good organization,3, know defense training, kick and follow football,
What time did your defenders enter camp? If he had started other players ahead of those players, all hell would have broken lose. So please stop all this excuses that you coming up with. The bottom line is your players are over-rated, they are just plain average. Names don’t play football. Abi you didn’t see some players literally passing to the opponent. And thats the coach’s fault. Maybe it’s time other players need to be called up.
The problem is primarily with the coach. He doesn’t have anything to offer us. Wasn’t it the players or pool of players that other coaches used to reach Afcon final and qualify with games to spare? Finidi is technically lacking and easy to influence. He was the one who invited the players and selected those that executed the matches, so he is to be blamed. At this point, 95% of the CSN fans and Nigerians at large are aligned that Finidi is not a good coach. You are the only one trying hard to defend him.