Nigeria’s Super Eagles scraped a tense 2–1 win over Lesotho in Polokwane, keeping alive their faint hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was far from a comfortable outing, but the result pushes Nigeria closer to contention in Group C.
Full-Time in Polokwane!
The Super Eagles get the job done, goals from Troost-Ekong and debutant Akor Adams seal the win!
Lesotho 1-2 Nigeria #LESNGA #SoarSuperEagles #FIFAWCQ2026 pic.twitter.com/03mGPNGZkk
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 10, 2025Nigeria started on the front foot, with early chances falling to Alex Iwobi and Victor Osimhen, but their efforts lacked precision. Ademola Lookman’s repeated offside runs disrupted the attacking rhythm, while Lesotho grew in confidence, forcing the Super Eagles into hurried clearances. The clearest opportunity of the half came just before the break when Moses Simon’s corner found Tolu Arokodare unmarked, but his header went agonizingly wide. Eric Chelle’s men trudged into the interval frustrated and goalless.
Nigeria broke the deadlock ten minutes after the restart of the second half. Captain William Troost-Ekong calmly slotted home from the penalty spot to hand his side the lead. From that moment, the visitors grew in confidence, dictating the tempo and pinning Lesotho deep in their own half.
Their dominance eventually paid off again in the 80th minute, when debutant Akor Adams struck with a composed finish to seemingly put the result beyond doubt. With a two-goal cushion, the Super Eagles appeared firmly in control and on course for a routine win.
But Lesotho refused to fade quietly. Just three minutes later, Hlompho Kalake capitalized on a defensive lapse to halve the deficit, sparking a nervy finale. The hosts piled on late pressure, forcing Nigeria into desperate clearances and anxious defending.
In the end, the Super Eagles stood firm, grinding out the result to claim all three points. With the victory, Nigeria climb to third place in Group C on 14 points, just one behind South Africa and three behind leaders Benin, who picked up a vital win away to Rwanda. The qualification picture remains precarious, Nigeria must now defeat Benin in their final match and hope South Africa falter to stand a realistic chance of progressing.
