Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong and vice-captain Wilfred Ndidi are confident Nigeria can get a positive result in Friday’s clash against Lesotho, Afrosport reports.
The three-time African champions are in dire need of a win against the Crocodiles at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, to keep alive their slim hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria sit third in Group C with 11 points — three behind Benin and South Africa, who occupy the top two spots. This followed FIFA’s ruling last month, with the global football body sanctioning Bafana Bafana for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho.
Though the Super Eagles must fully focus on their own result, they will also be keeping an eye on Benin’s clash with Rwanda in Kigali and South Africa’s meeting with Zimbabwe in Durban. A favourable result for Nigeria from both games could drastically change the landscape of the group.
We’re back in action this month and it’s fight till the finish! 💪🏽#SoarSuperEagles pic.twitter.com/hvUU5KfC5J
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 1, 2025
Speaking ahead of the game, Troost-Ekong said the team remain determined to fight until the end.
“We’re optimistic and we’re always going to fight till the end,” the Al-Kholood defender told NFF media on Wednesday. “We believe and we’re never going to stop believing; two important games, Friday, the first one, and after that we get back to Nigeria. Our focus now is on Lesotho.
“The boys are in camp… focused and the spirit is high. It’s been the same for us; we have to win this game. We are very optimistic and focused on the game [against Lesotho].”
Ndidi echoed his captain’s thoughts, insisting the team must approach the final qualifying fixtures one game at a time.
“We know where we are at the moment, and these two games are really crucial,” the Besiktas midfielder said. “But firstly, we’ll focus on the game against Lesotho before we turn our attention to the one against Benin. What is most important right now is the game Lesotho one.”
Nigeria’s qualification chances hinge on winning their final two matches convincingly and hoping both Benin and South Africa drop points.
