Nigeria held their nerve to secure a 2–1 victory over Lesotho in a tense 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday evening, Footynaija.com reports.
William Troost-Ekong’s penalty and Akor Adams’ strike were enough to hand Eric Chelle’s men a hard-fought win despite a nervy finish.
The Super Eagles began on the front foot and could have been ahead inside the opening five minutes. Ademola Lookman tested Lesotho’s goalkeeper early on before Alex Iwobi fired straight at him from close range. Victor Osimhen, constantly lurking around the box, saw an early through ball wrongly flagged for offside in what could have been the opening goal.
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Nigeria’s dominance was clear throughout the first half, with Lookman, Iwobi, and Moses Simon creating chances almost at will. Arokodare went close with a header from Lookman’s cross, while Osimhen forced the Lesotho goalkeeper into repeated saves.
At the other end, Chippa United’s Stanley Nwabali had little to do, though he stayed alert to deny a rare Lesotho break before the interval. Despite all their control, Nigeria couldn’t find a breakthrough before the break, as the first half ended goalless and frustrating for Eric Chelle, who was visibly unimpressed on the touchline.
The breakthrough finally came in the 52nd minute. After Moses Simon’s strike struck the arm of defender Motlomelo Mkwanazi, referee Alhadi Mahamat of Chad pointed to the spot. Captain William Troost-Ekong calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, placing the ball low to the left corner to give Nigeria the lead.
Minutes later, another penalty appeal was waved away when Wilfred Ndidi went down in the area, but Nigeria stayed in control. Iwobi’s powerful effort from distance forced another corner, before Osimhen rattled the crossbar after beating the goalkeeper, with Akor Adams — who had just replaced Arokodare — narrowly missing the rebound.
The Super Eagles kept pushing, and in the 79th minute, Osimhen turned provider. The Galatasaray striker laid off a neat pass for Akor Adams, who slotted home his first competitive goal for Nigeria to double the advantage.
However, Lesotho refused to roll over. Just three minutes later, substitute Hlompho Kalake pulled one back after a corner caused confusion between Nwabali and his defenders. The goal sparked a late surge from the hosts, who suddenly looked dangerous with wave after wave of crosses.
Eric Chelle reacted by tightening his defence, bringing on Semi Ajayi and Zaidu Sanusi for Osimhen and Simon as Nigeria switched to a compact shape. Still, Lesotho almost levelled deep into stoppage time when another miscommunication between Nwabali and Ajayi nearly gifted an equaliser, but luck was on Nigeria’s side as the ball rolled wide.
After five tense minutes of added time, the referee’s whistle confirmed victory for the Super Eagles. Nigeria now move to 14 points in Group C, still alive in the hunt for a 2026 World Cup ticket with one match remaining.
