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Eric Chelle: ‘Super Eagles still alive in World Cup race after win over Lesotho’
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle believes the Super Eagles have kept their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes alive following Friday’s hard-fought 2–1 victory over Lesotho in Polokwane.
Goals from William Troost-Ekong and debutant Akor Adams secured all three points for Nigeria, who now sit third in Group C with 14 points, three behind leaders Benin Republic and one adrift of South Africa.
Benin Republic edged Rwanda 1–0 in Kigali, while South Africa were held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe in Durban.
Speaking after the match, Chelle expressed relief and pride in his players’ performance amid mounting pressure.
“Today we are happy because we won the three points — we are still alive,” Chelle said. “I’m happy for my players; I want to congratulate them. We’ve been feeling the pressure since March because for Nigeria, we need to go to the World Cup. Maybe now other teams will feel that pressure too.”
Looking ahead to Tuesday’s decisive final group game against Benin Republic in Uyo, Chelle urged Nigerian fans to rally behind the team.
“We need our fans behind us to put pressure on Benin. This is the World Cup qualifiers, and the game starts when they set foot in our country. We need to do the job on the pitch,” he added.
Team captain William Troost-Ekong, who scored Nigeria’s opener from the penalty spot, praised Lesotho for their resilience and spoke on the team’s determination to qualify.
“Lesotho played a great game. It wasn’t easy to come here, and I understand the frustration because they fought well,” said the centre-back. “We’ve been under pressure since March, but we’re focused on ourselves. We’re a team with a winning mentality — we want to be at the World Cup.”
“We know we have to win against Benin, and we must win convincingly. It’s going to be a big test again, but I think the team is ready. We’ve worked hard for this moment, and like the coach said, I’m proud of the team.”
Nigeria must now beat Benin Republic in Uyo on Tuesday and hope South Africa drop points against Rwanda to stand a chance of finishing top of the group — or potentially qualify through the Intercontinental Playoffs as one of the best second-placed teams.
