Nigeria Edge Lesotho 2-1 to Boost World Cup Qualification Hopes

Nigeria Edge Lesotho 2-1 to Boost World Cup Qualification Hopes

By Niyi Busari 

Super Eagles kept their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes alive with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Lesotho on Thursday evening, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Captain William Troost-Ekong opened the scoring in the 54th minute, calmly converting from the penalty spot with a precise strike into the bottom left corner after Nigeria were awarded a spot-kick.

The visitors continued to press forward, with Alex Iwobi forcing a strong save from Lesotho goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane following a clever setup from Ademola Lookman in the 57th minute.

Moments later, head coach José Peseiro handed a senior national team debut to Akor Adams, who replaced Tolu Arokodare in the 62nd minute. The Montpellier striker wasted no time making an impact, scoring his first goal for Nigeria just one minute after coming on to double the Super Eagles' advantage.

Victor Osimhen nearly added a third for Nigeria, striking the woodwork shortly after Adams' goal. Adams also had another effort saved in a spell of sustained pressure from the visitors.

Lesotho pulled one back late in the match, but it wasn’t enough to deny Nigeria all three points.

The win keeps Nigeria’s World Cup dreams alive, but the Super Eagles must now beat Benin Republic by at least a three-goal margin in their final group-stage fixture in Uyo to have any realistic chance of qualifying for the 2026 tournament.

As it stands, Benin Republic is leading the table with 17 points after defeating Rwanda 1-0 while South Africa played a 0-0 draw with Zimbabwe. South Africa are now on 15 points while Super Eagles are on 14 in the third position.