Nigerian Footballer Ademola Lookman reflects on his given status as the best player in Africa.

The footballer was crowned Africa best player in December, 2024. While his colleague, Victor Osimhen won the prestigious award in 2024.

Speaking to the media, Lookman shares “It’s a blessing, it’s a pleasure, and most definitely an honour, to be among the people here who have won the award, like my teammate last year, Osimhen, my brother.”

“To be able to be crowned this is a blessing. It’s something I hold with great honour and great respect.”

Super Eagles defender Igho Ogbu is confident that the team can break their winless streak against Rwanda in Kigali.

The Super Eagles have struggled to secure a victory over the Amavubi in their last three meetings in Kigali. Éric Chelle’s squad faces the pressure of needing a win to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ogbu, who plays for Slavia Prague, remains positive about the team’s chances. He believes that with the right preparation, they can deliver a strong performance.

“I believe we can do it. We just need to work hard in training, and everything will fall into place on matchday,” Ogbu said in an interview with Ojb Sports.

The match is scheduled for Friday at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, with kickoff set for 5 pm Nigerian time.

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has shared that new head coach Eric Chelle has provided the team with clear guidance ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Speaking to NFF TV, Troost-Ekong gave an update on how the team is preparing for the crucial match against Rwanda on Friday.

“He [Eric Chelle] has given us a lot of instructions. Our focus now is to understand exactly what he expects from us on Friday and work toward delivering it,” Troost-Ekong said.

He also acknowledged the pressure on the team but remains confident they can handle it. “These are the key moments where we need to step up, but none of us is afraid of that. Like I said, this pressure is a privilege for all of us,” he added.

The Super Eagles have struggled against Rwanda recently, failing to win their last two encounters.

Currently, Nigeria sits in fifth place in the World Cup Group C qualifying table with just three points from four matches. They are behind Rwanda, South Africa, Benin Reputhe bloc, and Lesotho, and are still searching for their first win in the group.