Nigeria’s Super Eagles revived their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign on Friday with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Lesotho, keeping their North American dream alive.
Head coach Eric Chelle named a strong line-up, welcoming back Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen and experienced defender William Troost-Ekong of Saudi side Al-Kholood. The introduction of key players raised expectations, but Lesotho’s Crocodiles proved stubborn opponents.
Nigeria started brightly, with Moses Simon threatening in the 6th minute as he cut in from the right, only to be halted by a resilient backline.
Despite dominating possession throughout the first half, the Super Eagles were plagued by misplaced passes and struggled to break down Lesotho’s disciplined five-man defence.
Osimhen nearly broke the deadlock in the 38th minute, outmuscling his marker to meet a cross before unleashing a powerful effort, but goalkeeper Neo Sekhoane produced a strong save to deny him. Lesotho held firm to ensure the first half ended goalless.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 53rd minute when Motlomelo Mkwanazi was penalised for handling the ball inside the box after blocking a shot from Simon. Captain Troost-Ekong stepped up and calmly dispatched the spot kick into the bottom corner to give Nigeria the lead.
Nigeria doubled their advantage in the 80th minute as Osimhen slipped a clever pass to Akor Adams, who took a touch and fired low past Sekhoane to make it 2–0.
However, the visitors were made to sweat late on. A defensive lapse from a corner gifted Lesotho a lifeline, with Hlompho Kalake pouncing to lash a shot over goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and reduce the deficit.
Despite the late scare, Nigeria held on to secure all three points, strengthening their position in the qualification race.
The Super Eagles will now look to build momentum in their next qualifier against Zimbabwe on Sunday, as they push towards a return to football’s biggest stage in 2026.
Comments
Post a Comment