By Dayo Awoniyi
Rwanda’s head coach, Adel Amrouche, was left embarrassed and disappointed following his team’s 2-0 loss to Nigeria in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Friday.
The match, which was attended by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his wife, saw Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen score both goals, securing a crucial win for the Super Eagles.
Amrouche did not shy away from expressing his frustration and acknowledged the need for significant improvements within his squad.
“There are things we need to correct in this team. No problem, we lost, but we will regroup and come back stronger in our next game,” he said in the aftermath of the defeat.
The coach, visibly upset, added that losing in front of the President left him feeling “very ashamed.”
He stated, “We cannot put on such a performance in front of all these fans and His Excellency, President Paul Kagame.”
The loss was especially disappointing for Rwanda, who had previously shown promise with a strong performance against Lesotho.
“I hate losing. I am a bad loser. We did very well against Lesotho, but today was disappointing,” Amrouche admitted.
For Nigeria, the victory was a crucial step forward in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Osimhen’s brace not only sealed the win but also marked a personal milestone, taking his tally to 25 goals for the Super Eagles, further solidifying his place in Nigerian football history.
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.
