October 25, (THEWILL) – It has been confirmed that the Super Eagles will host Lesotho on November 17 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, in the first match of their race to the next World Cup. Just three days later, Nigeria will travel to Kigali to face Zimbabwe at the Amahoro Stadium.
Nigeria is in Group A alongside Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Benin Republic, South Africa and Rwanda. Only the top team will automatically qualify for the 2026 finals, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Under Portuguese manager, Jose Peseiro, the Super Eagles will be keen to get their qualifying bid off to a strong start against Lesotho and Zimbabwe next month. Matches against Benin, South Africa and Rwanda are scheduled for 2024.
Of the six teams, only Nigeria and South Africa have previously appeared at the World Cup finals. Securing qualification will be critical for a Nigerian side that missed out on the 2022 tournament in Qatar after losing to rivals Ghana in a playoff.
With qualification on the line, the Super Eagles will aim to show their pedigree and book their place in North America in 2026.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
