2025 AFCON Qualifier: Fisayo Dele-Bashiru draws inspiration from Rwanda draw

By Saheed Afolabi

Nigeria midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has drawn motivation from the Super Eagles’ goalless draw against Rwanda in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in Kigali.

Despite the team’s inability to capitalize on several scoring opportunities, Dele-Bashiru believes the performance showcased their resilience and potential.

In the post-match press conference, Dele-Bashiru acknowledged the challenges of playing away and the impact of the passionate home crowd.

“I think we played well; it was going to be difficult playing away. They had their fans cheering them. Of course, there are a lot of circumstances to consider too,” he said.

He reflected on the missed chances, noting that the game could have swung in Nigeria’s favor had they converted their opportunities.

“The problem is that we couldn’t convert our chances. We created a lot of chances to win the game. We have to take the positive that we didn’t concede.”

Looking ahead, Dele-Bashiru remains optimistic that the result will benefit the Super Eagles in their quest for AFCON qualification.

“This result will definitely boost our chances of qualifying for the AFCON. It is not the result we wanted but definitely not a bad one.”