Lazio midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has pointed to Nigeria’s lack of finishing as the primary reason behind their goalless draw against Rwanda on Tuesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Super Eagles failed to capitalise on several scoring opportunities during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, leaving them with just a point from the encounter.
Dele-Bashiru, who was included in the starting lineup in place of Fulham’s Alex Iwobi, expressed disappointment over the outcome, insisting that Nigeria deserved more from the game.
“I think we played well. It was going to be difficult, playing away. They have their fans cheering them,” Dele-Bashiru said after the match.
Despite controlling much of the play and creating numerous chances, Nigeria’s attack struggled to find the back of the net.
Strikers Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, and Victor Boniface all missed promising opportunities to score.
Even Dele-Bashiru, who impressed with his overall performance, fired wide from a good position in the second half.
“The problem is that we couldn’t convert our chances. We created a lot of chances to win the game. We have to take the positive that we didn’t concede,” added the Lazio midfielder, reflecting on the match.
While Nigeria’s forwards were left frustrated, Rwanda’s goalkeeper stole the spotlight, earning the man-of-the-match award for his efforts.
Dele-Bashiru, however, noted that the result still helps Nigeria in their quest for AFCON qualification:
“This result will definitely boost our chances of qualifying for the AFCON. It is not the result we wanted but definitely not a bad one.”
Nigeria will face Libya in back-to-back fixtures during the October international break, with their qualification campaign still well on track.