National Teams
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Lesotho beat Zimbabwe to top Super Eagles group
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
The Group C of 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers is open after three games as Lesotho moved to the top of the table after a 2-0 win over Zimbabwe at the Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa on Friday.
Two first-half goals from Rethabile Rasethuntsa and Jane Ntso Thaba ensured that the Southern African side moved to the summit of a tight group after three games.
Rasethuntsa scored the first goal in the 21st minute with a sliding stretch from a good pass by Thabo Matsoele.
Ten minutes later, they doubled their advantage thanks to Ntso Thaba who was at the end of Lehlohonolo Fothane’s corner kick.
The two goals were all it wrote at the end of 90 minutes as the Likena topped the table with five points ahead of Rwanda, Benin Republic, and South Africa all on four points. Nigeria is also not far off with three points while Zimbabwe has two.
The matchday four games will change the tide of the group depending on the results. The Super Eagles with three draws from three games will hope to pick their first win at the familiar ground, Stade Felix Houphouet Boigy where they enjoyed strings of good results on their way to reaching the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
A win there will launch their gloomy bid to stage a return to the World Cup after missing out on the last edition in Qatar to Ghana.
Another draw will further spell doom for the three-time African champions which has played three straight 1-1 draws with Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
