IDNN Sports Desk
Super Eagles were lucky in Uyo as Ntwari shines in narrow defeat
Rwanda head coach Adel Amrouche cut a frustrated figure after his side’s 1–0 loss to Nigeria in Uyo, describing the Super Eagles as “lucky” to come away with victory in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier.
The Amavubi had entered the match with hopes of unsettling the Super Eaglkes on their home soil, but were undone by Tolu Arokodare’s 51st-minute strike. Despite sustained Nigerian pressure, goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari’s reflex saves ensured Rwanda remained competitive until the final whistle.
“When we lose, we are not happy. I am not happy because the Super Eagles defeated my team,” Amrouche said in his post-match briefing. He praised his players’ effort and particularly singled out Ntwari, who pulled off multiple key saves to deny Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman before the breakthrough came.
“Yes, we came with a plan to defeat Nigeria. We held our opponent, and we have statistics for each player during the game. Sometimes you don’t force in goal but you can score with the mistake. We have learnt from this game and that would put my team to be more focused for the next time,” he added.
The coach also extended respect to Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle, calling him “a good coach” while noting that Nigeria benefited from a fortunate break in front of their home crowd. Rwanda’s spirited display, however, keeps them in contention with eight points in Group C.
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