2018 CHAN: Rwanda hold unlucky Eagles

The home-based Super Eagles of Nigeria on Monday night were forced to a goalless draw in their opening match against Rwanda in the 2018 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) group C encounter. holding in Tangier, Morocco.

CHAN Eagles would have won the match if only they utilised their scoring chances but both team shared the points after Libya battered debutants Equatorial Guinea 3-0 in the opening game of Group  earlier on Monday.

Nigeria will now face Libya Friday evening at the same venue in continuation of the tournament.

It was not a vintage display by the home-based Eagles as they laboured to make accurate passed and overall did not make their attacking endeavour to count.

Nigeria took the game to Rwanda in the first half and created the better chances, but somehow they failed to put away any of them.

Youngster Sunday Faleye, a bright spark in the Eagles attack, got the first chance after five minutes, but his header off a cross by Emeka Ogbugh came off the crossbar.

In the 20th minute, Faleye again had the chance to put the Eagles ahead, but the diving Rwanda goalkeeper Eric Ndayishimiye somehow blocked his chipped shot from right inside the box.

Nigeria continued to push forward with Anthony Okpotu’s header narrowly missing the mark in the 22nd minute.

Veteran Rabiu Ali then twice had the chance to get on the scoreboard for Nigeria.

First, in the 40th minute he skied his lob over the bar deep inside the box with the goalkeeper down and beaten.

And then two minutes later, his shot from distance crashed against the bar with the goalkeeper caught out.

After the interval, Nigeria did not create as many chances as the first period, while the Amavubi grew in confidence and even pushed forward.

Rwanda created a few chances with Nigeria goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa having to do more, but his Rwandese counterpart remained the busier of the two shot stoppers as the Eagles pressed for a winner only to be denied by the post or some resolute defending.

Eagles starting XI 4-3-3 – Ikechukwu Ezenwa – Osas Okoro, Daniel Itodo, Stephen Eze, Kalu Orji – Emeka Atuloma, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Austin Oladapo), Rabiu Ali – Emeka Ogbugh – Anthony Okpotu (Ibrahim Mustapha), Sunday Faleye (Nura Ibrahim).