2026 World Cup Qualifier: As Customs CG Adeniyi, others cheer Eagles to Victory in Kigali
By Uzor Odigbo
The joy of National Sports Commission Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi knew no bounds when Super Eagles defeated Rwanda 2-0 in a must-win World Cup qualifier in Kigali on Friday.
The CG Adeniyi expressed delight at the boys’ performance in Kigali pointing out that if they sustained the form, no team in the group would stand them.
“If this team plays the way you played today, no team is your match in this group. You have just sent a signal to the other teams in the group that it is no longer business-as-usual”, he said
Before the kickoff, Mallam Dikko and Hon. Olopade joined by NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and former Sports Minister and spokesperson to the President Chief Sunday Dare, came down to wave, pump up and appreciate the vociferous Nigerian supporters. This gingered the supporters as they pumped up the volume and drowned the voices of the home supporters. At some point, a neutral would wonder who was at home, given the loudness of the Nigerian supporters.
Going into the game, Nigeria were four points adrift of Rwanda after a very difficult start to the campaign, so failure to win would make them lose more grounds.
The seriousness of this game was highlighted by the fact that the Commission set up a planning committee engaging and coordinating with NFF for months in preparations for the matches and sent out an advance party four days ahead of match day. This advance party was targeted at nuliifying the home advantage of the Rwandans or reduce it to the barest minimum. This advance party mobilised Nigerians in Kigali to support the Super Eagles, sorted all logistics and on match day, an aircraft chartered by the Commission conveying supporters landed in Kigali early enough to create a sea of green and white at the arena.
The Commission had set a target of winning the next six matches knowing that this would most likely be enough to remedy the difficult start and secure the World Cup ticket. The first of those six games in Kigali was crucial as it would effectively define the direction that the campaign would be tilting.
Therefore, victory in Kigali was very soothing to the NSC chairman and his team. This was apparent in their open and unrestrained show of joy that sometimes tilted to the infantile, but these were men who were overjoyed and wore their emotions on their sleeves.
Victor Osimhen’s brace sufficed as the Nigerians got their World Cup campaign back on track. Visibly overjoyed NSC Leadership jumped down from the VIP box after the final whistle this time accompanied by the CGC, Chief Dare, Alhaji Gusau, Senators and House of Representatives members as well as other top dignitaries who were also in Kigali to cheer the team to victory
