The newly signed Wolves striker was introduced at the start of the second half and made an immediate impact. Capitalising on a defensive mix-up inside the Rwandan box, Arokodare flicked the ball goalward, his effort crashing off the crossbar before bouncing over the line to seal all three points for Nigeria.

The win pushes Eric Chelle’s men up to third in Group C with 10 points, just one behind Benin Republic and six adrift of leaders,  and next opponents – South Africa.

Nigeria had controlled much of the contest but was left frustrated in the first half. Star striker Victor Osimhen limped off injured in the 35th minute, compounding a difficult opening period in which his earlier finish was ruled out for offside.

Chances from Moses Simon and Alex Iwobi also went begging as Rwanda’s resilient backline held firm.

Arokodare’s introduction after the restart proved decisive, his physical presence and hold-up play creating space for Simon and Ademola Lookman to stretch the Rwandan defence with dangerous runs and crosses.

While the narrow victory was hard-fought, it ensures Nigeria’s qualification hopes remain alive ahead of a crucial showdown with South Africa.