Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has taken responsibility for Nigeria’s defensive frailties that allowed the Amavubi of Rwanda to come from behind and secure a shock 2-1 victory over the three-time African champions in Monday’s final Group D match of the Maroc 2025 AFCON qualifiers.
This comes despite the centre-back being named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the game, earning a $1,000 cash prize from the award organisers.
Similarly, Samuel Chukwueze, who scored Nigeria’s only goal, was awarded the Man of the Match (MOTM) prize, taking home a princely sum of $2,000.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Troost-Ekong admitted that the Super Eagles’ defence, along with the entire team, was not as sharp or as effective as expected.
The Super Eagles’ slack marking was also evident when Innocent Nshuti found space amidst a crowded defence to score Rwanda’s match-winner 15 minutes before full-time.
Troost-Ekong expressed bitter disappointment over the defeat, lamenting that it dashed the team’s hopes of finishing the qualifiers on a high note and giving the fans a ‘thank you’ victory.
