Olushola Omogbehin
As the Super Eagles of Nigeria visit New Peter Mokaba Stadium, South Africa, on Friday to lock horns with the Crocodiles of Lesotho in what seems to be their last-chance match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Nigerians are wondering if they could still pull the round leather magic.
The Super Eagles who almost lost out in their campaign for the 2026 World Cup finals after their September 1-1 draw against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, were handed a lifeline when South Africa were docked points for fielding an ineligible player, thereby narrowing the gap at the top of Group C.
The ruling left Nigeria three points adrift of Benin and South Africa with two games remaining, reshaping the qualification race and keeping Nigeria’s hopes alive.
In order to qualify therefore, the Super Eagles must not lose either of their remaining two matches, beginning with Friday’s fixture against Lesotho with the hope that South Africa slip up in their games against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
As many teams still possess the chance of topping the group, a win for Super Eagles today is essential if their campaign is to be kept alive.
Already, the head coach, Éric Chelle and some Super Eagles stars have expressed optimism about their chances.
Speaking at a press conference in Polokwane on Thursday, Chelle said the team must begin the game aggressively and with full focus in order to be victorious
Meanwhile, the match against Lesotho will take place on Friday (today), October 10, at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane. It will kick-off at 6:00 p.m. local time (5:00 p.m. Nigeria time).
