The Super Eagles of Nigeria kept their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes alive on Friday night after battling to a tense 2-1 victory over Lesotho in Maseru.
Captain William Troost-Ekong put Nigeria ahead in the 55th minute from the penalty spot after a Lesotho defender was penalized for handling the ball inside the box. Substitute Ademola Adams extended the lead in the 80th minute, skillfully dribbling into the area before finishing neatly from Victor Osimhen’s assist.
However, the hosts refused to go down quietly. In the 83rd minute, Hlompho Kalake capitalized on a goalkeeping blunder by Stanley Nwabali, whose poor handling from a corner allowed Lesotho to pull one back and set up a nervy finale.
Nwabali nearly compounded his error in stoppage time when another lapse in concentration almost gifted Lesotho an equalizer, but the effort drifted narrowly wide to the relief of the Nigerian bench.
The crucial win leaves Nigeria third in Group C with 14 points, just one point behind South Africa (15), who were held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe earlier in the day. Benin Republic remain top of the standings with 17 points following their 1-0 victory over Rwanda.
Group C Standings After Matchday 9
- Benin Republic – 17 pts
- South Africa – 15 pts
- Nigeria – 14 pts
- Rwanda – 11 pts
- Lesotho – 9 pts
- Zimbabwe – 5 pts
With only one match left to play, the qualification battle remains fiercely contested. The Super Eagles will now focus on their final group fixture, knowing that nothing short of victory — and some help from other results — will secure their path to the next stage of the World Cup qualifiers.
