Nigeria’s Super Eagles had a rough start to their 2026 World Cup campaign against a tenacious Lesotho team, who held them to a 1-1 draw at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Thursday in Group C. Semi Ajayi came to the rescue.

Despite having the most of the ball, the three-time African Cup of Nations winner was unable to convert any clear-cut opportunities into goals against Lesotho.

However, the team suffered a setback when Mkwanazi’s goal to hush the home crowd gave the Lesotho Crocodiles a startling lead in the 56th minute.

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The player from Lesotho was able to get the ball ahead of Francis Uzoho due to his poor ball judgment.

Though Semiu Ajayi’s goal in the 67th minute gave the Super Eagles some hope, all attempts to score the crucial goal were unsuccessful as Lesotho’s tight defense ensured that Nigeria and Zimbabwe shared a point.

The Super Eagles will next play Zimbabwe at the Huye Stadium in Butare on Sunday; if Nigeria wants to improve their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, they must win the game with the maximum number of points.

Super Eagles opponent, Rwanda on Wednesday played a goalless draw against Mozambique in Huye while South Africa Will hope to capitalize on the failure of Nigeria to get a win when they host Benin at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban