October 10, (THEWILL) — Nigeria revived their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win against Lesotho in their penultimate Group C fixture at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday.
Goals from William Troost-Ekong and debutant Akor Adams in the second half ensured the Super Eagles claimed three vital points, moving within one point of South Africa, who drew 0-0 with Zimbabwe.
Eric Chelle’s side now heads into their final qualifier with belated hopes of qualifying.
The Super Eagles found the opening 45 minutes difficult, failing to break down a determined Lesotho side playing on home soil in Polokwane.
Goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane handled six Nigerian attempts without serious trouble, making three straightforward saves whilst three other efforts missed the target.
Creativity proved absent for the visitors, who could not turn territorial control into clear opportunities before the interval.
Nigeria’s breakthrough arrived early in the second period when Motlomelo Mkwanazi handled inside the penalty area.
Troost-Ekong stepped up to convert from the spot, giving his team the lead they had laboured to find. The advantage doubled on 80 minutes when Adams, introduced 18 minutes earlier for his debut, latched onto Victor Osimhen’s pass and fired a left-footed strike beyond Moerane.
Lesotho responded three minutes later when Hlompho Kalake punished a weak clearance from Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, reducing the deficit and setting up a tense finale.
The Crocodiles pressed for an equaliser but could not breach the Super Eagles’ defence again in the remaining seven minutes.
The result leaves Nigeria’s qualification fate in better odds going into the final round of matches.
South Africa’s failure to beat Zimbabwe means just one point separates the two nations, with the final fixtures set to determine which teams progress directly from Group C to the World Cup finals.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
