The Nigerian Super Eagles have advanced to the decisive stage of their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign after securing a 2-1 victory against Lesotho at South Africa’s Peter Mokaba Stadium, according to Soccernet.ng.
Goals from William Troost-Ekong, who converted a penalty, and a first international goal by Sevilla’s Akor Adams ensured Eric Chelle‘s squad claimed all three points.
Following criticism over an own goal in their previous match against South Africa at the Free State Toyota Stadium, captain William Troost-Ekong admitted the team was dissatisfied with their first-half display against Lesotho.
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Ekong Reflects on the Super Eagles’ Hard-Fought Win
During the post-match interview, the former Watford defender commended Lesotho for their resilient performance despite the defeat.
“Firstly, I want to acknowledge that Lesotho played exceptionally well,” Troost-Ekong shared in an interview featured by NFF Media.
“We anticipated a tough challenge coming here, and I understand the frustration and disappointment because they truly fought hard.”
“Matches like this are always challenging. Our coach reminded us that the pressure has been mounting since the qualifiers began in March. We aimed to concentrate on our own game,” Ekong added.
“After the first half, it took us a moment to regroup in the dressing room because we were all eager to perform better,” he concluded.
Looking ahead, Nigeria must overcome the Republic of Benin in their final group match at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Tuesday. However, their qualification hopes also hinge on Rwanda dropping points against South Africa simultaneously.