- South Africa has defeated Lesotho 3-0 in Bloemfontein to stay top of Group C as the race for the 2026 World Cup heats up
- Goals from Mohau Nkota, Lyle Foster, and Oswin Appollis sealed the win for Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana
- Nigeria’s World Cup hopes now hinge on winning their remaining four games, including beating Rwanda and South Africa
South Africa strengthened their grip on Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with a 3-0 victory over Lesotho in Bloemfontein on Friday night.
Hugo Broos’ men remain five points clear at the top of the standings and 13 points ahead of Nigeria, making them strong favourites to secure the group’s automatic ticket to the World Cup.
According to the BBC, Mohau Nkota opened the scoring in the 15th minute, finishing off a pinpoint cross from Aubrey Modiba.
It was a special moment for the forward, who marked his first senior national team goal in front of a lively home crowd.
Despite two injury setbacks in defence, Bafana Bafana controlled the game and rarely looked troubled by Lesotho..
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Second-half dominance from Bafana Bafana
It was in the second half that South Africa took complete control.
After sustained pressure, Modiba tested goalkeeper Moerane with a powerful shot in the 63rd minute.
The Lesotho goalkeeper failed to hold onto the ball, leaving Lyle Foster to pounce to double the advantage from close range, African Football reports.
Just four minutes later, Foster turned provider as the Burnley striker slipped a neat pass into the path of Oswin Appollis, who drilled home a low finish to make it 3-0 and ensure all three points belong to South Africa.
From that point, Bafana Bafana were content, keeping possession and conserving energy ahead of their crucial clash, and possibly World Cup decider with Nigeria.
What does this result mean for Nigeria?
While South Africa celebrated, the result piled even more pressure on Nigeria.
The Super Eagles, who have collected just one win from six qualifiers so far, now face a near-impossible task of chasing down Bafana Bafana.
To have any chance of reaching the 2026 World Cup, Nigeria must win every remaining fixture, including back-to-back matches against Rwanda in Uyo on September 6 and South Africa in Bloemfontein on September 9.
South Africa sit on 13 points, while Nigeria are nine behind with a game in hand.
Victory against Rwanda would reduce the gap on Bafana Bafana, but the real test will be away to Hugo Broos’ side just three days later.
Anything less than victories from those games will almost certainly end Nigeria’s qualification hopes.
Group C is tilting heavily in South Africa’s favour, and Tuesday’s match in Bloemfontein could decide not only who tops Group C but also who makes it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Enyeama picks winner of Group C
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that former Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama remains optimistic that Nigeria can still beat South Africa to the World Cup ticket.
The 2013 AFCON-winning captain believes Nigeria’s pedigree will carry them through despite a difficult start in the qualifiers.
