…match officials to arrive Saturday

Group winners Nigeria and final-day opponents Rwanda have both landed at the Obong Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo ahead of Monday’s Matchday 6 clash in the concluding round of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Deflated but not altogether supine, the Amavubi still have a mathematical chance of qualifying, though the supposition is not actually in their favour. They missed a big opportunity to enhance their chances when losing at home to Libya’s Mediterranean Knights on Thursday, and can only make it to Morocco 2025 if they defeat Nigeria in Uyo and Libya are victorious against Benin Republic’s Cheetahs in North Africa on Monday.

The Super Eagles, confirmed group winners, have nothing to chase other than national pride, and will play a more relaxed game against the visitors than the turgid contest with the Cheetahs at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan on Thursday night.

Nigeria’s delegation flew from the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, to Uyo aboard a chartered ValueJet aircraft, arriving at 3.50pm.

Rwanda’s delegation flew from Kigali to Lagos aboard a regular Rwandair flight, arriving at 1pm, before boarding an Ibom Air flight to Uyo. They landed in Uyo just before 5pm.

Uyo’s magnificent Godswill Akpabio Stadium is the venue, and a carnival atmosphere is expected as the Super Eagles celebrate for 90 minutes and afterwards with the AFCON ticket long in the bag.

Both countries battled to a scoreless draw in their first confrontation in Kigali in September, though the jury is still out on Ademola Lookman’s first-half headed goal that was inexplicably chalked off by the Moroccan referee.

Incidentally, another Moroccan will be in the role of referee on Monday. 44-year-old Samir Guezzaz takes the stage in the centre at the game that kicks off at 5pm.

Guezzaz alongside his compatriots Zakaria Brinsi (assistant 1), Abdessamad Abertoune (assistant 2) and Kech Chaf Mustapha (fourth official) are scheduled to arrive in Nigeria on Saturday, same as Prosper Harrison Addo from Ghana (commissioner) and Ali Mohamed Ahmed from Somalia (referee assessor).