Group D standings
1. Nigeria - 11 points
2. Benin - 8 points (+0)
3. Rwanda- 8 points (-2)
4. Libya- 5 points
Nigeria and Benin qualify for the AFCON 2025 finals.
Rwanda head coach Frank Spittler has commended his team's away victory over Nigeria in Uyo although they couldn't qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 finals in Morocco.
Ange Mutsinzi and Innocent Nshuti scored two quick fire second half goals as Amavubi came from a goal down to beat Nigeria 2-1 in Uyo on Monday, November 18. The victory saw them finish in third place with 8 points, level with Benin. They, however, couldn't qualify based on inferior goal difference.
ALSO READ: AFCON 2025 Qualification: Amavubi fall short despite stunning comeback against Nigeria
"Check the FIFA rankings. The Super Eagles are ranked around 30th, while we, Rwanda, are somewhere in the 126th place. That’s a huge gap yet we stood our ground and achieved this feat. It’s a big plus for us, and I’m proud of the players," Spittler told the press.
"But I’m deeply saddened. It feels unacceptable that we could beat a team like Nigeria and still fail to qualify for the AFCON. We came so close but remained so far away,” he added.
Spittler&039;s contract runs out in the coming weeks and, if he is maintained, his next assignment will be a CHAN final qualification round game against South Sudan in December.
Meanwhile, Amavubi skipper Djihad Bizimana took to social media to congratulate his side for the win over the Super Eagles.
"We didn't get what we worked so hard for but you guys should be proud of yourself. Head high...We keep going," Bizimana said in an Instagram post on Tuesday.