Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup remain alive after a hard-fought 2–1 win over Lesotho on Friday, but the Super Eagles still face a tough road ahead.
Despite the victory, Nigeria sit third in Group C with 14 points. South Africa are second with 15 points after drawing with Zimbabwe, while Benin Republic top the table with 17 points.
The battle for automatic qualification now comes down to the final round of matches.
To keep their World Cup dream alive, Nigeria must defeat Benin Republic by at least two goals in their last group game on October 14. Benin currently have a goal difference of +5, while both Nigeria and South Africa sit on +3 — making a strong win essential.
The Super Eagles will also need some help from elsewhere: South Africa must either lose or draw against Rwanda in their final fixture. A South African win would make Nigeria’s path to direct qualification extremely difficult.
Only the group winners will qualify automatically for the World Cup, while the four best second-placed teams will advance to the play-offs — meaning every point and every goal counts from here on.
