Nigeria face Rwanda on September 6, in Uyo in their crucial World Cup qualifiers match.
Nigeria are currently fourth in Group C, six points behind leaders South Africa, and a point behind Rwanda and the Republic of Benin.
The game against Rwanda is a very tricky one for the Super Eagles. The last time Nigeria played Rwanda in March, it ended in a hard-fought 2-0 win.
Before that match, Rwanda captain Djihad Bizimana emphasized that they were not afraid of facing Nigeria:
“There’s nothing to worry about. We already met them twice, and I think most of them are here, so there is nothing to worry about.”
He added: “We respect them as a big team with big names, but as players, we are really focused on what we are doing in training.”
Eric Chelle’s men will have to be at their best when they take on Rwanda on Saturday, as their opponents will come with the same mentality.
Super Eagles have had it difficult against Rwanda in the past. Nigeria has won only two matches out of seven against the Amavubi, drawing four and losing one.
However, Eric Chelle maintains faith in his players to go through by winning all four remaining games.
Per Osasu Obayiuwana [Guardian], Chelle said that, “People have already written us off. But I am not bothered by that. I am concentrating on preparing my players for the remaining four matches that we have.
“I think that we are going to surprise a lot of people.”
Chelle operates mainly with a 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, and 4-4-2 formation.
William Troost-Ekong and Calvin Bassey are likely to be deployed as the centre-backs, while Ola Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi might feature as full-backs.
In midfield, Chelle has not established a permanent partnership, with several players at his disposal including Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Alex Iwobi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Christantus Uche, and Wilfred Ndidi, making his selection difficult.
In attack, the preferred option remains Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen, and Moses Simon, but with Lookman’s lack of playing time this season, his place in the starting line-up is shaky.
Meanwhile, Rwanda’s coach Adel Amrouche deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, though he sometimes goes with a 4-4-2 or 5-4-1 depending on the opposition.
His tactics encourage players to sit back and rely on counter-attacks to hurt their opponents.
With Fiacre Ntwari in goal and Ange Mutsinzi and Thierry Manzi as centre-backs, Amrouche’s defensive setup might cause the Super Eagles problems.
The outcome of the World Cup qualifiers might play a big part in Eric Chelle’s future.
The Malian tactician is under immense pressure to help the team qualify for the World Cup after failing to get through to the knockout stages at the just-concluded African Nations Championship.
