Eric Chelle

Nigeria’s Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle breathed a sigh of relief after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Lesotho in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Friday, insisting his side remains firmly in the race. Goals from defender William Troost-Ekong and debutant forward Akor Adams sealed the three points, propelling Nigeria to 14 points and third place in the standings.

The win keeps the pressure on the top two: South Africa’s Bafana Bafana hold second on 15 points after a frustrating 0-0 draw with Zimbabwe, while leaders Benin Republic edged Rwanda 1-0 in Kigali to stay three points clear.

Chelle: “We Are Still Alive” Amid Mounting Pressure

In his post-match press conference, Chelle praised his players’ resilience under the spotlight. “Today we are happy because we won the three points, we are still alive,” he said. “I’m happy for my players, I want to congratulate them. For us, we’ve been feeling the pressure since March, and when my players come to camp, they feel the pressure because for Nigeria, we need to go to the World Cup. So we have lots of pressure—maybe other teams will have some pressure too.”

With a pivotal clash against Benin looming in Uyo on Tuesday, Chelle issued a rallying cry to fans: “We need to have our fans behind us to put pressure on Benin. This is the World Cup qualifiers, so this game starts when they put their feet in our country. We need to do the job on the pitch.”

Troost-Ekong: “A Team of Winners Ready for the Final Test”

William Troost-Ekong

Captain William Troost-Ekong, who opened the scoring, echoed his coach’s sentiments, tipping his hat to Lesotho’s spirited display. “Lesotho played a great game; it wasn’t easy to come here. We knew that from the start, and I can understand the disappointment and frustration because they put up a very good fight,” he reflected.

On the broader campaign, Troost-Ekong added: “This kind of games are never easy. The coach talked about the pressure which has been on us since March and maybe since the start of the qualifiers. We just want to focus on ourselves—we are a team of guys that have winning mentality; they want to be winners. We want to be at the World Cup; we’ve said that now for the last nine months, and we have the opportunity now with the game in Uyo against Benin, who we know we have to score certain amount of goals. It was always the case—we need to win the game, and we have to win it convincingly.”

“It’s going to be a big test again, but now I think the team is really ready. We’ve been working on the pressure for such a long time, and we know this is the final. We worked really hard to get there, and like the coach said, I’m proud of the team.”

The Stakes in Uyo: A Decider That Could Define Nigeria’s Destiny

Tuesday’s showdown in Uyo isn’t just a match—it’s a must-win to leapfrog Benin and secure automatic qualification. With the Super Eagles’ pedigree and home advantage, all eyes are on Chelle’s men to channel the pressure into glory.