Nigeria Beat Lesotho to Keep 2026 World Cup Hope Alive

The Super Eagles of Nigeria yesterday defeated Lesotho 2-1 in one of the Group C World Cup Qualifying matches at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa.
The goals came from the team’s Captain, William Troost-Ekong and debutant, Akor Adams, in an encounter that was far from convincing but secured an important win as rival, South Africa dropped points.

The Super Eagles now have a fighting chance as they look to come from behind to secure a place at the 2026 World Cup. They came into yesterday’s three points shy of Benin and South Africa, who sat second and third in the group.

Nigeria opened the scoring in the 55th minute when Troost-Ekong converted a penalty, giving the visitors the advantage.
The Super Eagles continued to press and control possession, and their efforts were rewarded in the 80th minute when Akor Adams doubled the lead.
At that stage, Nigeria looked comfortable, appearing to have a firm grip on the match.
However, Lesotho refused to go down without a fight as Hlompho Kalake pulled a goal back in the 83rd minute, giving the hosts a lifeline and adding tension to the closing stages.
Despite Lesotho’s late push, Nigeria held on to secure the 2-1 win.
The match lacked intensity for long periods, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances until the second half.

Nigeria’s early dominance and clinical finishing proved decisive, while Lesotho’s late goal was not enough to alter the outcome.
This was expected to be a routine outing for the Super Eagles, but, in reality, it was anything but. The Nigerian team was thoroughly uncreative in the first half, resorting to long balls with limited effect as they struggled to break down their hosts.

The second half was a very similar story. The visitors heaped pressure on their opponents, but despite having Victor Osimhen and Tolu Arokodare as twin strikers with Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi in supporting roles, they could not convert territory into goals.

The three-time AFCON champions will now face Benin in their final group match next Tuesday, seeking to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

The victory keeps Nigeria in contention and provides a crucial boost ahead of their decisive clash.

Meanwhile, a goalless draw for Bafana Bafana, though, meant the Super Eagles took a huge step closer to securing a spot at the summer tournament with one qualifier left to play.

Nigeria must beat The Cheetahs Benin in Uyo by at least two goals and expect South Africa to again drop points against Rwanda on Tuesday to have any hope of hoisting her flag at the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals to be hosted by USA, Canada, and Mexico.

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