By Wale Mustapha
Lesotho’s senior national football team has arrived in Polokwane, South Africa, to begin final preparations for their upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures against Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
The delegation, comprising 23 players and 14 officials led by head coach Leslie Notsi, landed in Polokwane in the early hours of Tuesday ahead of Friday’s Matchday Nine clash with the Super Eagles.
It is a full squad for the Crocodiles, with key players including captain Sekhoane Moerane, Thabo Makhele, and Motebang Sera—who all featured in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League over the weekend—already in camp.
The team is set to hold its first official training session on Wednesday as they fine-tune tactics ahead of their critical clash with Nigeria at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Kick-off for Friday’s match is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. local time (5:00 p.m. Nigerian time). Lesotho will remain in Polokwane to face Zimbabwe on Monday in their final Group C qualifier.
The reverse fixture between Lesotho and Nigeria ended 1–1 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo last year.
Coach Notsi and his team are currently fourth in Group C and will be hoping to improve their standing as the race to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup intensifies.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
