By Wale Mustapha
Rwanda’s national football team, the Amavubi, will play a friendly against a local side on Saturday as part of their preparations for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Nigeria.
The match will feature home-based players, who are vying for spots in the final squad to face the Super Eagles.
Newly appointed head coach Adel Amrouche will use the friendly to assess the players ahead of the crucial fixture.
Amrouche, who was appointed as head coach of the Amavubi on Sunday, is expected to announce his final squad following the friendly.
Rwanda will host Nigeria in a vital Matchday Five encounter at the Amahoro Stadium on Friday, March 21.
The Amavubi currently lead Group C with seven points from four matches, making the upcoming game crucial for their World Cup ambitions.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
