Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has urged his teammates to stay focused and show respect to Lesotho when both sides meet in a decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Friday.
Nigeria are under pressure to deliver after a slow start to their qualification campaign. With only two matches remaining against Lesotho and Benin Republic, victories in both games are crucial to their hopes of reaching the World Cup alive.
Speaking ahead of the match in South Africa, Troost-Ekong said the team are fully aware of the importance of the fixture and must not underestimate their opponents.
“Yeah, we’re approaching this the same way we approached the game against South Africa. It’s important for us to go for all three points,” the captain said.
“We have to show Lesotho respect, they’ve done well in the group and have picked up points against us also. So, yeah, it’s going to be an important game for both of us.
“We’ve just been focused on our preparation. Like the coach said, we had two very good training sessions today, and the third one here. We’re looking forward to the game tomorrow.”
Ekong won the 2023 AFCON MVP. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Pressure mounts on Chelle’s side
The Super Eagles have been in camp in South Africa, with Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and Wilfred Ndidi all part of the travelling squad.
Head coach Eric Chelle has also called for total concentration and intensity from his players, warning that “anything can happen” in football. He stressed that Nigeria must start strongly and maintain aggression throughout the encounter to secure victory.
“We must be 100% focused on this match tomorrow against Lesotho a great team with a good coach,” Chelle said earlier this week.
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“We need to start well, with a lot of intensity and aggressiveness, to score and win this game.”
With qualification hopes on the line, Troost-Ekong’s caution serves as a reminder that every point counts as Nigeria chase a return to the global stage after missing the 2022 World Cup.
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Kick-off for Lesotho vs Nigeria is at 5:00 p.m. (Nigeria time) and 6:00 p.m. local time, with live coverage on SuperSport Football, SuperSport Variety, and NTA Sports.
