Wilfred Ndidi insists that the Super Eagles can ill afford to look past their immediate task. Rwanda come first, and until that hurdle is cleared, South Africa remains a distant concern.
The Besiktas midfielder struck a sober note ahead of Saturday’s clash in Uyo.
“We are not looking at the game against South Africa yet, because the game against Rwanda is the most important one in our hands right now, and we can’t let it slip.
“If we let it slip, it’s finished. If we let the Rwanda game slip, there’s nothing like rivalry in South Africa. We have to win the game against Rwanda first, then we focus on the game against South Africa,” he told Pooja Media.
Rwanda a must-win for Super Eagles’ credibility & World Cup aspiration
Group C is delicately poised. The Super Eagles, fourth with seven points from six matches, are still within touching distance of qualification. Rwanda sit a point ahead, while South Africa lead the way by six, though potential sanctions could yet reshape the table.
. @Alookman_ x @CalvinBassey x @CyrielDessers 💚 pic.twitter.com/cd5zvdzFAM
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) September 4, 2025
On paper, Amavubi should not trouble Nigeria. The gulf in quality is clear, and the Super Eagles are blessed with attacking riches. Yet recent history counsels against complacency. The three-time African champions has developed an unhelpful knack for dropping points where they should not, and in a qualification campaign of such fine margins, that wastefulness has already proved costly.
Beating Rwanda is about more than just the points. It is a chance to reassert authority, to make a statement that ripples down the continent, perhaps even forcing Hugo Broos to reconsider his South Africa game plan.
Anything less than victory would leave Nigeria staring into the abyss, their hopes of a return to the World Cup thrown into even greater peril.
