BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
As the countdown to Rwanda versus Nigeria World Cup qualifying duel begins, a certainty is that the two teams have a common denominator.
The men who handled them when they met last year have changed duty posts and African coaches outside their countries are handling both teams.
Both coaches, Mali’s Eric Chelle for Nigeria and Algeria’s Adel Amrouche for Rwanda will be sitting on the bench for the first time with their respective teams.
Who will be a winning debutant? The actions at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday will provide the answer.
No clash of the two teams had in the past provided a winner as all three previous duels in Kigali ended in draws.
This time, Nigeria’s Super Eagles are attempting a ‘catch-up game’ hoping to secure all three points to climb up the ladder from the bottom fifth position.
On the other hand, surprise group leaders hope to consolidate by going to 10 points to set a seven-point gap with Nigeria and follow up with another three points in the subsequent duel at home with Lesotho.
But a win by Nigeria will lower the tension on the Super Eagles who surprisingly have beaten Rwanda twice in 2004 in Abuja in a World Cup qualifier and again in Calabar in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The storms are gathering as Super Eagles set to soar again.
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