2026 World Cup Race: Wingless Eagles get bitten by Crocodile

Posted : 17 November 2023

Super Eagles started their journey to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a disappointing 1-1 draw against the less-fancied Lesotho at the Goodswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.

Though the Super Eagles are missing some key players due to injury, a 1-1 scoreline against Lesotho, a country ranked 153 compared to Nigeria's rank of 40, is a highly undesirable result.

During the match, the Super Eagles squandered many scoring chances, and Uyo fans increasingly grew discontent with the sloppy play by the Eagles until the match ended 0-0 at halftime.

Lesotho, however, dealt the blow in the 56th minute as Bereng provided a good assist to Bantu FC's overlapping defender, 29-year-old Motlomelo Mkhwanazi, who rifled home the curtain-raiser to silence the Uyo fans.

Nottingham Forest hitman Taiwo Awoniyi and Atalanta FC striker Ademola Lookman, guilty of the goal drought, later made way for Nantes FC's Moses Simon and Terem Moffi in the match where the unapproved goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho, made no recorded saves.

Nigeria, however, got a retaliatory goal in the 67th minute as stand-in Captain Kelechi Ihenacho, drafted to the wings, took a set piece that connected with West Brom player Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, who brilliantly nodded home the equalizer.

This is the first time ever that the Crocodile will get a draw in three matches against Nigeria. The Super Eagles defeated the Crocodiles 2-0 on 8th September 2007, also walloped the team 3-0 in an AFCON qualifier on 30th March 2021, but the biggest win for Nigeria against Lesotho was the 4-2 recorded in Lesotho on 17th November 2019.

Four of Lesotho's last five matches were in the regional competition in South Africa in July this year, where Lesotho defeated Mozambique 1-0 on 10th July, lost to Angola 2-4 on 12th July, played 1-1 with Malawi on 14th July, and lost 0-1 to Zambia on 16th July in the regional final. On 9th September 2023, the Elephants of Ivory Coast could only manage a 1-0 victory over Lesotho in Abidjan.

The Super Eagles will play the second match in the World Cup campaign against the Warriors of Zimbabwe at Huye Stadium in Butare, Rwanda, on Sunday at 1400 hours.

At that stadium this evening before 10,000 fans, Rwanda forced Zimbabwe to a goalless draw, temporarily leaving no team on top in group C.

South Africa will meet Benin Republic on 18th November at 1500; Zimbabwe will host Nigeria on 19th November at 1500 in Rwanda; on 21st November, Lesotho will host Benin Republic at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa. On the same day, South Africa will play Rwanda at Butare before the break for the finals of the AFCON games in Ivory Coast from January to February 2024.

2026 World Cup Race: Wingless Eagles get bitten by Crocodile

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