Sports
Super Eagles grind out 2-1 win over Lesotho in World Cup qualifiers
Nigeria’s Super Eagles clinched a gritty 2-1 victory over Lesotho in their Group C match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, held on Friday in Polokwane, South Africa.
The scoring came from newcomer Akor Adams and a confidently converted penalty by William Troost-Ekong.
This outcome boosts the Super Eagles to 14 points, keeping them in third place within Group C.
It marks their third triumph across nine outings in the qualification series.
READ ALSO: Super Eagles edge Rwanda to revive world cup hopes
Meanwhile, in the group’s remaining games, Benin Republic earned an encouraging 1-0 triumph on the road against Rwanda, propelling them to 17 points and solidifying their lead at the top.
The previous frontrunners, South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, settled for a lackluster 0-0 stalemate against neighboring Zimbabwe.
As a result, South Africa holds onto second position with 15 points in the group table.
The qualification round’s concluding matches are set for Tuesday, featuring the Super Eagles at home against Benin Republic, South Africa hosting Rwanda, and a showdown between Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
The Super Eagles dominated the opening stages, with Ademola Lookman testing the goalkeeper in the third minute, only for the Lesotho shot-stopper to dive and secure the ball.
Five minutes in, Alex Iwobi had a scoring opportunity following a precise through ball but was thwarted by the alert keeper.
Iwobi attempted another effort from distance in the 13th minute, which the goalkeeper gathered with ease.
Ten minutes before halftime, Victor Osimhen met a delivery into the box, yet his header sailed directly to the custodian.
In stoppage time of the first half, Tolu Arokodare rose to meet Lookman’s corner but failed to steer it on frame.
The Nigerian side picked up their momentum after the break, breaking the deadlock in the 54th minute when Troost-Ekong slotted home a penalty after a Lesotho defender blocked Moses Simon’s attempt with his hand.
At the 60-minute mark, Iwobi unleashed another shot from afar, but the keeper parried it onto the crossbar.
Simon came close to extending the advantage in the 63rd minute, though his shot was desperately blocked on the goal line.
With 20 minutes remaining, Lesotho earned a set piece near the corner, but it sailed harmlessly out for a goal kick.
In the 80th minute, replacement Adams made it 2-0, latching onto a feed from Osimhen, evading his defender, and rifling a low left-footed strike into the net.
However, Lesotho responded swiftly three minutes later, as Kalake pounced on a loose ball from goalkeeper Nwabali’s mishandled corner to reduce the deficit.
Deep into added time, Lesotho nearly leveled when Nwabali spilled another aerial ball, but the follow-up shot drifted just wide.
Manchester United salvaged a point against Nottingham Forest with Amad Diallo’s spectacular volleyed 2-2 equalizer in the closing stages, marking exactly one year since Ruben Amorim took charge of the club.
The visitors opened the scoring through Casemiro’s header following a disputed corner decision.
READ ALSO: United secure back-to-back EPL victories with a dramatic 4-2 win over Brighton
Officials ruled that Nicola Savona’s clearance of Bryan Mbeumo’s delivery had crossed the touchline, though video evidence appeared inconclusive about whether the entire ball had gone out of play.
Despite holding their interval advantage, United’s hopes of climbing to second place evaporated early in the second period. Forest overturned the deficit within five minutes through Morgan Gibbs-White, who converted Ryan Yates’ cross, before Savona capitalized on defensive confusion to put the hosts ahead—ending their four-game scoring drought.
Rather than collapse, Amorim’s men responded with 81 minutes played when Amad struck brilliantly from distance after Forest partially cleared a set piece. United nearly snatched victory in stoppage time, but Amad’s goal-bound effort was hacked away on the goal line.
Crystal Palace snapped their winless streak with a convincing 2-0 triumph over Brentford, who had been enjoying strong form.
Jean-Philippe Mateta broke the deadlock with an exquisite arcing header that sailed beyond Caoimhin Kelleher’s reach into the far corner, adding spark to an otherwise dull opening period.
READ ALSO: Palace edge Liverpool in shootout to win Community Shield
The striker had previously netted three times in Palace’s thrilling stalemate with Bournemouth two weeks earlier.
Despite defeating Liverpool in their previous outing, Brentford struggled throughout the first half. Their best opportunity to level came when Mikkel Damsgaard stepped up to take a free kick from a promising position after Daichi Kamada’s foul, but he blazed his attempt well over.
Brentford’s misery deepened shortly after halftime when Nathan Collins deflected Jefferson Lerma’s long delivery past his own goalkeeper, doubling Palace’s advantage.
Collins nearly compounded his error by surrendering possession to Ismaila Sarr in a dangerous area, though the Senegalese forward’s shot struck the woodwork.
Reiss Nelson tested Dean Henderson late on with a curling strike, but Oliver Glasner’s side comfortably preserved their clean sheet.
Arsenal maintained their perfect winning streak with a dominant away performance against Burnley, extending their run to nine consecutive victories across all competitions.
Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice found the net as the league leaders secured their fifth straight league triumph, establishing a seven-point gap at the summit, though some rivals have matches in hand.
READ ALSO: Eze shines as Arsenal claim shock victory over Palace at Emirates
Mikel Arteta’s men overcame a Burnley outfit known for defensive resilience and riding high after successive wins. Arsenal’s set-piece prowess—league-leading this campaign—proved decisive when Gyokeres tapped home from Rice’s corner delivery.
Martin Dubravka denied Bukayo Saka with an acrobatic stop before Leandro Trossard saw his attempt cleared off the line. Rice then doubled the advantage before halftime, meeting Trossard’s lofted pass with a powerful header.
The hosts enjoyed greater possession after the restart and threatened through Florentino Luis, whose close-range header sailed over, while Marcus Edwards rattled the frame of the goal with a late free kick.
Beyond that brief scare, Arsenal cruised through their eighth victory in ten league matches this season. The 2-0 defeat leaves Burnley hovering just four points above the relegation zone in seventeenth position.
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