#WCQ2026: Rwanda’s Amavubi head to Nigeria for World Cup Qualifier

By The Inspirer.

KIGALI – Rwanda’s national football team, the Amavubi, departed Kigali early Tuesday morning at 2:55 a.m. for Nigeria, where they will face the Super Eagles in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier before traveling to South Africa to meet Zimbabwe.

These matches mark the seventh and eighth rounds of the qualifiers. Rwanda will take on Nigeria on September 6, 2025, at 12:00 p.m., before facing Zimbabwe on September 9, 2025, in South Africa.

The traveling contingent comprises 44 people, including 24 players. From Kigali, 39 individuals traveled—20 of them players—while four players, Mugisha Bonheur Casemiro, Kavita Phanuel, goalkeeper Buhake Twizere Clement, and Kwizera Jojea, are expected to join the squad in Lagos. The team is scheduled to land in Lagos at 2:15 p.m.

Upon arrival, the delegation—led by newly elected Rwanda Football Association (FERWAFA) president Shema Ngoga Fabrice—will immediately proceed to Uyo State, the venue of the match against Nigeria.

Following the Nigeria fixture, the Amavubi will head straight to South Africa for their September 9 clash with Zimbabwe. The team is expected to return to Kigali on September 10, 2025.