Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has urged his players to stay focused on defeating Lesotho in their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, cautioning them not to be distracted by results from other Group C fixtures.
Nigeria, currently third in Group C with 11 points, must win to keep their World Cup hopes alive. Group leaders Benin top the table with 14 points, while South Africa sit second on goal difference. Rwanda, who also have 11 points, remain in contention as the qualification race tightens.
Speaking ahead of the Friday night clash, Chelle emphasized that the players must maintain full concentration on the task at hand. “With just two matches remaining, our only priority is winning against Lesotho,” Chelle said. “We’ll analyze the group standings afterward, but for now, our total focus is on this game.”
Chelle, who took over as Nigeria’s coach in January, faces mounting pressure to guide the Super Eagles to qualification following their impressive run to the Africa Cup of Nations final earlier this year.
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Meanwhile, the group dynamics shifted dramatically after FIFA penalized South Africa on September 29, deducting three points and three goals for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their 2-0 victory over Lesotho in March. The ruling reignited Nigeria’s qualification hopes.
Reacting to the setback, South Africa’s head coach Hugo Broos, who led Cameroon to the 2017 AFCON title, expressed disappointment over the sanction. “We were not beaten by Lesotho or Nigeria. If we had lost to them, I would understand the doubts,” Broos said. “The only difference now is that without the deduction, one more win would have sealed our qualification. But the mission remains the same, we must win.”
South Africa will take on bottom-placed Zimbabwe on Friday before wrapping up their campaign against Rwanda on Tuesday.
The nine group winners from the African qualifiers will advance directly to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while the four best runners-up will compete in a playoff for a spot in the intercontinental playoffs later in November.
