2026 WCQ: Nigeria scrape 2-1 win against Lesotho to keep qualification hopes alive

The Super Eagles of Nigeria scraped a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Lesotho on Friday evening to keep their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes alive.

It was far from a vintage performance from Eric Chelle’s men in Polokwane, but goals from captain William Troost-Ekong and debutant Akor Adams were enough to secure all three points despite a late scare from the hosts.

Nigeria started the brighter of the two sides, with Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman testing the Lesotho defence early on.

The Super Eagles dominated possession but struggled to break down a disciplined Crocodiles backline, with Arokodare and Iwobi both coming close in the first half.

The breakthrough finally came in the 54th minute after Mkwanazi handled the ball in the box. Troost-Ekong stepped up in place of Osimhen and calmly slotted home from the spot to put Nigeria ahead.

Substitute Akor Adams doubled the advantage in the 80th minute, finishing off a fine move initiated by Osimhen on a counter-attack.

The debutant showed composure to beat his marker and fire low into the bottom corner, seemingly securing victory for the Super Eagles.

However, Lesotho refused to back down. Just three minutes later, Kalake capitalised on a goalkeeping error from Stanley Nwabali, who failed to claim a corner, allowing the midfielder to dink the ball into the net and make it 2-1.

The final minutes were frantic, with Lesotho pushing hard for an equaliser and nearly snatching one in stoppage time after another defensive mix-up.

Nigeria ultimately held on to secure a narrow but crucial win that keeps their qualification hopes alive.