By Ghazali Ibrahim
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have kept their 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes alive after defeating Lesotho 2–1 in a tense qualifying encounter on Friday; a result that could prove crucial in their bid for automatic qualification.
The match, played before a lively home crowd, saw Nigeria take control in the second half after captain William Troost-Ekong broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 55th minute, following a Lesotho handball in the box.
The Eagles doubled their lead in the 80th minute when Akor Adams finished clinically to put daylight between the two sides. However, Lesotho fought back almost immediately, with Kalake pulling one back in the 83rd minute to set up a nervy finale.
Despite late pressure, Nigeria held firm to claim all three points; a result that keeps them in the qualification race but still behind Benin Republic, who won their own fixture to remain top of Group C.
With the standings now showing Benin on 17 points and Nigeria on 14, the Super Eagles’ fate is delicately poised ahead of the final round of matches.
To qualify automatically, Nigeria must defeat Benin Republic in their last group fixture, a match now being billed as a make-or-break encounter.
The team must also hope that either Benin or South Africa drop points, while a superior goal difference could also play a decisive role if teams finish level.
For Lesotho, the defeat all but ends their qualification hopes, as they remain on nine points and now need a near-impossible set of results to stay in contention.
As the race for the 2026 World Cup tightens, all eyes are now on the final-day clash that will determine whether Nigeria’s dream of returning to football’s biggest stage remains alive or fades in heartbreak.
