Moroccan referee Jayed Jalal is set to officiate an important 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match as Rwanda prepare to host the Super Eagles of Nigeria.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
The highly anticipated FIFA World Cup qualifiers will take place at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday, March 21.
Jalal will be joined by his fellow Moroccan officials, Mostapha Akarkad and Hamza Nassiri, who will serve as the first and second assistant referees, respectively.
This match comes at a critical juncture for both teams, as they vie for valuable points in the qualification process.
Note that the experienced 37-year-old Jalal previously officiated a significant friendly match involving the Super Eagles, against Ghana’s Black Stars on March 22, 2024. In that encounter, held in Marrakech, Morocco, Nigeria emerged victorious with a scoreline of 2-1.
As it stands, Rwanda led Group C with an impressive seven points accrued from four matches, setting them on a promising path toward World Cup qualification.
Conversely, the Super Eagles find themselves in a challenging position, sitting in fifth place in the group with only three points from the same number of fixtures. This upcoming match is thus crucial for the Super Eagles as they aim to enhance their standing in the group.
In related news, former Super Eagles defender Augustine Eguavoen has voiced his concerns regarding the exclusion of Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho from coach Eric Chelle’s expanded 39-man squad ahead of the pivotal qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Eguavoen emphasized that it would be “unfair” to leave Iheanacho out, especially since Chelle has opted to broaden the roster beyond the customary 23-man limit.
“If it’s a 23 or 25-man list, that’s fine,” Eguavoen stated during an analysis segment on Monday Night Football. “But it’s not fair on Kelechi Iheanacho if Eric Chelle makes a 39-man list and he isn’t involved.”
Note that Iheanacho, 28, who is currently playing for EFL Championship club Middlesbrough on loan from Spanish club Sevilla, didn’t make Eric Chelle’s final World Cup qualifiers squad released earlier today, March 11.
