Nigeria and Tunisia Secure Key Wins in World Cup Qualifiers

POLokwane, South Africa — Nigeria kept their World Cup dreams alive with a narrow 2-1 victory over Lesotho in a Group C qualifier on Friday.

The Super Eagles took the lead in the 32nd minute when William Troost-Ekong converted a penalty after a foul in the box. Akor Adams doubled their advantage just before half-time, scoring in the 45th minute. Lesotho halved the deficit in the 70th minute with a strike from Khotso. Despite some tense moments, Nigeria held on to secure the victory.

This win brings Nigeria within one point of second-placed South Africa, who managed a frustrating 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe earlier in the day. South Africa’s result complicates their path to qualification, while Benin‘s 1-0 win against Rwanda puts them in a strong position. Nigeria will face Benin next week in a crucial match.

In other matches, Tunisia demonstrated their strength, defeating São Tomé and Príncipe 6-0 in Rades. Tunisia has already qualified for the World Cup as group winners.

The Ivorian national team also made headlines with a resounding 7-0 victory over Seychelles, keeping them at the top of Group F. They are poised to secure their spot in the World Cup finals with a win in their last game against Kenya.

Gabon‘s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang recorded four goals in a thrilling 4-3 win over Gambia, though he received a red card that will leave him suspended for their next match against Burundi.

Looking ahead, Northern Ireland hopes to stay in contention for a World Cup spot with a critical match against Slovakia on Friday night in Belfast. Slovakia leads Group C with six points, while Northern Ireland sits in second place with three points.

In a controversial development, FIFA opened a disciplinary case against Equatorial Guinea due to the team not traveling to a scheduled match against Malawi. The players cited health concerns about flying overnight.

Overall, the weekend promises more excitement as teams push for qualification to the 2026 World Cup to be held in North America.