- Beat Lesotho 2-1 to stay in race for a ticket
Nigeria’s Super Eagles kept their World Cup qualification hopes alive by beating the Crocodiles of Lesotho 2-1 inside the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane in South Africa on Friday evening.
Recovering from an uneventful first half, the Eric Chelle’s side stepped up pressure after the break and their efforts were rewarded with a penalty when Lesotho wing-back Thabang Malane handled Moses Simon’s shot with his arm.
Captain William Troost-Ekong stepped up to score the first goal in the 55th minute from the penalty spot by sending the keeper the wrong way and placing the ball neatly in the corner.
It was almost 2-0 shortly afterwards when Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen lifted a shot over goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane but the ball bounced off the post.
The follow-up by Simon was dutifully cleared off the line while Sekhoane brilliantly diverted an Osimhen attempt against his upright as the Super Eagles piled on the pressure.
The second goal finally arrived in the 80th minute when Osimhen unselfishly played in substitute Akor Adams for his debut goal in the Super Eagles’ colours. The Sevilla striker finished calmly
Akor Adams to put Nigeria 2-0 up on the counter.
However, Nigeria almost self-destruct as Lesotho pulled one back late on when Hlompho Kalake capitalised on a mistake by Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali to fire home their solitary goal in the 83rd minute.
Disaster almost struck in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time, when a mix-up between Nwabili and Wilfred Ndidi gave Fusi Matalabe the chance to equalise, but his shot trickled wide
With the result, Nigeria remain third in the standings, three points behind group leaders Benin Republic and one shy of South Africa, who drew 0-0 with bottom-placed Zimbabwe.
Currently on 14 points, if the Super Eagles beat Benin by two goals on Tuesday, October 14, and South Africa fail to beat Rwanda, they will top the group and reach the World Cup.
