Nigeria’s interim head coach, Austin Eguavoen has singled out Rwanda’s goalkeeper, Fiacre Ntwari as the standout performer in their goalless draw during Tuesday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
Ntwari was instrumental in securing a crucial point for the Rwandan team, making nine vital saves to keep Nigeria at bay.
The Kaizer Chiefs shot-stopper denied several Nigerian attackers, including Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Victor Boniface, Simon Moses, and Bruno Onyemaechi.
The Rwandan goalkeeper’s commanding presence and organization of his backline earned him widespread praise, with many, including Eguavoen, labeling him the man of the match.
“Defensively, they were solid. They blocked shots and put bodies on the line,” Eguavoen said after the match.
“The goalkeeper, for me, was the man of the match. They were lucky that some of those shots went directly to him. If the angles were different, the result could have been in our favor.”
Despite his frustration with the result, Eguavoen acknowledged the need for Nigeria to improve their finishing.
“We need to be more clinical in front of goal. We should be scoring more than three goals per game, and we will work on that moving forward.”
