Éric Sékou Chelle's tenure as Nigeria coach began with a first 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying appearance for Victor Osimhen, two goals for the striker, a clean sheet for the team, and a first win of the campaign, 2-0 vs. Rwanda, as the Super Eagles made a promising start on the road to redemption.
Nigeria were quick off the blocks in Kigali, pinning Rwanda in their defensive third of the pitch, and Osimhen turned the pressure into a goal after Moses Simon was fouled on the edge of the penalty area. Ademola Lookman delivered a perfect ball to the far post, and Osimhen timed his run to perfection to volley home.
Rwanda shifted the balance of the game towards the end of the first half, applying pressure on Nigeria as they sought a goal that would lift them and maybe deflate the Super Eagles going into the break.
That proved to be a mistake, however, especially with a marauding Osimhen lurking dangerously.
With Rwandan players going forward in attack, the Nigeria No. 9 was left isolated in a mismatch against a single defender, and the result was inevitable: The second goal followed just before half-time, and Rwanda were all but defeated at that point.
There were to be no further goals, and Nigeria secured an important first win of the campaign to get Chelle's tenure off to a good start.
Beyond the result, though, there were good signs from the Super Eagles.
Victor Osimhen proves his quality
Nigeria had struggled for goals without Osimhen in the qualifying campaign, scoring just once in each of their opening four games. The Galatasaray striker needed barely 11 minutes to remind fans of his importance to the Super Eagles.
He doubled his tally just before half-time, and could have had at least one more goal. Both goals were typical of the striker, featuring a combination of perfect timing, great positioning, and immaculate technique. For the first, he held his run from Lookman's free kick to arrive just in time at the back post to guide home a half-volley. For the second, he showed determination, stretching every sinew to nick the ball off the defender with an outstretched toe before galloping away and scooping the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.
It is exactly the sort of unyielding forward play that Nigeria missed so much in their previous four qualifiers.
But Osimhen's game was not just about his goals. His leadership and desire to help deep in his own territory were also on full display. He was back defending Rwanda free kicks and corners, and urging his teammates to do the same; on one occasion, he almost physically pulled African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman to fall back quickly after a free kick had gone out of play.
Osimhen clearly led from the front as Nigeria's performance embodied what Chelle wants from his players.
The goals moved Osimhen into sole second in Nigeria's all-time scorer's list on 25, two clear of the legendary Segun Odegbami. He is now just 12 goals shy of Rashidi Yekini's 37-goal record for Nigeria.
"I am very happy for the goals," Osimhen said after the game. "Now the focus is on Zimbabwe so we keep going."
Pressure makes Eagles "super"
Having dug themselves into a hole, the Super Eagles players had spent the past week trying to reassure fans that they could pull this chestnut from the fire.
Almost every time they have been faced with pressure, whether in qualifying or in tournaments, the Super Eagles have tended to find a way to elevate their performance -- albeit sometimes they have done so too late.
There is still a lot to play for in this campaign, but victory against Rwanda was non-negotiable for the Super Eagles to keep alive their hopes of qualification.
Few African teams, or even in the world, have the quality of the Super Eagles upfront, but their undoing in recent years has been an inability to match that quality with a fighting display -- especially against less-fancied opposition.
Chelle's immediate task was to change that, and the mantra has never been far from his lips since his appointment.
It all came together at Amahoro Stadium.
Nigeria were unyielding from the get-go, pressuring Rwanda, and restricting them, not just to their own half but almost to their own third of the field for large swathes of the opening 45 minutes.
And when the hosts did contrive to work their way into the game in the final minutes of the half, and offer some threat, with their first shot coming after 40 minutes, Nigeria's breakaway second goal just before half-time knocked the stuffing out of Rwanda.
The Super Eagles were uncompromising from back to front, forcing Rwanda into misplaced passes and snatched shots; they were even willing to pick up yellow cards in the process, with Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and debutant Tolu Arokodare all going in the referee's book. The display exemplified how quality can make a difference when combined with hard work.
Whether it is the "new manager bounce", or signs of the culture going forward, this was a heartening display that showed a glimpse of the Super Eagles' capabilities with the right attitude, good coaching, and the will to win.
Chelle's game management comes through
Chelle made good decisions in his first game in charge, from his starting lineup to his in-game switches and substitutions.
The team essentially picked itself, but Chelle's decision to start multi-dimensional Ola Aina rather than the more natural Bruno Onyemaechi at left-back was an interesting choice; it may not have been a big surprise to Nigerians, but it could have provided some confusion for the opposition. Aina has previously excelled at left-back, but that might not be something that an opposition coach would have been planning to face with Onyemaechi in the squad.
The opening formation may have looked somewhat dodgy, with Samuel Chukwueze in a very unfamiliar midfield diamond position that left him hamstrung until Chelle switched things back to a 4-2-3-1 and sent the AC Milan man out wide. For a team that was playing for the first time under the new coach, they looked only slightly less confused than the opposition but somehow it worked! And it certainly did not hurt to have an ace in the sleeve named Osimhen.
Chelle made the adjustments he needed to, and then, with an eye of the next game, subbed off Iwobi, Osimhen and the largely ineffective Chukwueze.
Sending on Alhassan Yusuf when Bright Osayi-Samuel went off injured, and deploying him at right-back, also showed that Chelle has studied the personnel at his disposal and will play them in less-fancied positions.