Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has described Nigeria’s 2-0 victory over Rwanda as perfect statement to reignite their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes.
“It was important to make the statement that we did, and we’re all happy about it and the way we did it,” Ekong said.
“Of course, we have not qualified yet, and there’s still a lot of work to do, but we have started the recovery in a good way, and we just have to keep working hard.”
Super Eagles regain momentum
Ekong chose not to dwell on Nigeria’s sluggish start to the qualifiers but emphasised that the team remains firmly in contention.
“I don’t want to go into the circumstances that made the first four matches go the way they went. The good thing is we can still recover and revive the campaign, and we have done that.”
Ekong’s leadership, coupled with standout performances from Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Moses Simon, powered the Super Eagles to a convincing victory at Amahoro Stadium, evoking memories of their impressive run to the 2023 AFCON final in Ivory Coast.
Super Eagles focused on Zimbabwe showdown
As the team landed in Uyo on Saturday, Ekong quickly turned his attention to Tuesday’s crucial Day 6 clash against the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
“We read somewhere that the Zimbabweans are being motivated to come to Uyo and get a result. They should forget it,” Ekong declared.
“We are hugely motivated by the ambition to play at the FIFA World Cup. Apart from myself, Alex Iwobi, and perhaps a couple of others who played in 2018, this generation is hungry to compete at the highest level. We want to make Nigeria proud and do ourselves proud.”
A victory against Zimbabwe on Tuesday will push Nigeria to 9 points and keep them in firm contention for a World Cup spot, especially if Benin Republic and South Africa share the spoils in Abidjan’s Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
