AFCON 2025: Eguavoen says Eagles respect all groups, however can’t be intimidated by any

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Augustine Eguavoen began his fourth stint with the Tremendous Eagles on a wonderful word, with the three-time African kings decimating Benin Republic’s Cheetahs 3-0 in Uyo on Saturday. The 58-year-old intends to proceed alongside the win-and-smile path when Nigeria confront Rwanda on the Amahoro Nationwide Stadium, Kigali on Tuesday afternoon.

“We play to win on a regular basis, as a result of Nigerians count on their workforce to win on a regular basis. And since we now have a workforce with nice personnel, we play each workforce with respect however we don’t get intimidated by any.

“Our goal for Tuesday’s recreation is the three factors.”

Crew captain William Ekong, talking on the pre-match put up convention on the Amahoro Stadium on Monday, simply earlier than the Eagles’ official coaching, echoed the tactician: “We’re right here for a objective. With Coach Eguavoen, who has coached the workforce earlier than, all of us really feel like a household. We are going to play for one another and go for the three factors that can set up us on the high of the desk.”

Desk-toppers Nigeria, nonetheless basking within the great-feel of their 3-0 defeat of the Cheetahs, tackle the Amavubi (Wasps) on the refurbished 45,000-capacity facility within the coronary heart of Kigali in a Matchday 2 encounter of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying marketing campaign, from 2pm Nigeria time.

Tuesday’s encounter is the primary of 4 battles between the Eagles and the Amavubi within the subsequent 12 months, with the 2 groups to conflict in November in Nigeria within the last spherical of this qualifying race, after which do a home-and-away within the 2025 FIFA World Cup race with the Wasps additionally internet hosting Nigeria first in March subsequent yr.

Coach Torsten Spittler, a German, has roused the nation of 13 million individuals to imagine that the Amavubi can torpedo Nigeria, Libya and Benin Republic, and earn their first ticket to the Africa Cup of Nations since 2004. He flaunts a formidable document although, having led the workforce to win three of their final eight matches, drawing 4 and shedding one.

Spittler intends to set defenders Claude Niyomugabo, Fitina Omborenga, Ange Mutsinzi, Jean Claude Niyomugabo and Christian Ishimwe towards Nigeria’s twin-terrors Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, who each concocted the three objectives that deflated the Cheetahs in Uyo.

Within the midfield, Olivier Niyonzima, Bonheur Mugisha and Jean Bosco Rubineka can show a handful on their day, and on the fore, Spittler has implicit confidence in Gilbert Mugisha, Bienvenu Mugenzi and Harmless Nshuti, who acquired the workforce’s equalizer towards Libya in Tripoli final week.

Eguavoen confirmed on Monday that each one 23 gamers within the Nigeria workforce abode on the Radisson Blu are match and prepared, that means that goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali must be anticipated to start out, alongside captain Ekong, Semi Ajayi and Calvin Bassey on the coronary heart of defence, whereas Olaoluwa Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi can be wingbacks.

Wilfred Ndidi will presumably anchor the midfield that can have Alex Iwobi or Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, whereas Ademola Lookman, Victor Boniface and Samuel Chukwueze might nonetheless begin on the fore.

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