Amrouche Concedes: Amavubi's Gifted Goals Costly Against Nigeria

The Rwandan national team's head coach, Adel Amrouche, expressed dissatisfaction over his squad gifting Nigeria easy goals during their recent match held at Amahoro Stadium on Friday. Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen netted twice within the opening period—once in the tenth minute and again just before halftime—which secured victory for the Super Eagles and kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. and Canada.
Amrouche argued that these unforced errors significantly disrupted his strategic approach. He stated emphatically: "We gave away those two goals as gifts; changing our tactics right off the bat due to an early concession made things difficult." In comments directed towards reporters following the contest, the Algerian manager conveyed intense frustration toward his charges whom he felt underperformed despite being observed by significant figures such as President Paul Kagame along with First Lady Jeannette Kagame among others.
"Clearly, my men showed little tenacity today," Amrouche continued angrily. “Losing isn’t something I’m accustomed to—I refuse to accept failure. Most disappointing though is knowing His Excellency was present amongst cheering crowds. Players should be mindful of what lies ahead.”
He went on to assert that unless certain individuals step up their performance levels soon enough, replacements would likely enter the fray since promising prospects await opportunities. Nonetheless, recognizing the necessity to move past this setback promptly, Amrouche emphasized focusing efforts instead upon upcoming fixtures versus Lesotho scheduled next week.
Consequently, Rwanda dropped down to third position within group standings accumulating seven points thus far whereas leaders South Africa hold onto ten-point advantage having triumphed over Lesotho earlier too. As per schedule adjustments, both sides shall reconvene once more at Amahoro stadium come Tuesday twenty-fifth of current month.

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