World Cup (Q): Something between Lesotho-Nigeria – Notsi

Lesotho senior national football team coach Leslie Notsi has made an interesting observation about games involving Likuena and Nigeria. His remarks follows his team’s 2-1 loss to the Super Eagles in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier played on Friday.

Despite the defeat, Notsi believes his side deserved more from the Group C game played in South Africa. The Lesotho coach suggested that there was something strange with their games against Nigeria.

What is something not commonly seen with Nigeria?

“I don’t know between Lesotho and Nigeria something seems to be…because even in the first [leg] match in Uyo, it was a toe-to-toe game. Today, again we ended the game on a high note, creating goal scoring opportunities which is something never seen commonly with Nigeria especially with the likes of Lesotho and other small countries,” he said.

He summed up the reaction of his players who were visibly gutted by the defeat, saying they felt they deserved to at least snatch a point from the game.

“We wanted it more. This was a game whereby we said we needed to go out there and enjoy the game and dig deep. We knew that we had to dig deep. Like I said, creating those goal scoring opportunities and missing in the manner, we missed, the boys felt they had disappointed themselves and the supporters. At the end of the day, we learn from those things,” he said.

“Everything that happened was due to the analysis we had about Nigeria. We played three at the back and two fullbacks. Later in the game, we changed. We had wingers when we were trailing 2-0, taking the game to them so that their wingers should not move forward. We thought that if they got a third goal, it would be difficult to come back.”

Notsi then revealed what his Nigerian counterpart Eric Chelle told him after the game in Polokwane, South Africa.

“He said we have a good team, we have a very competitive and disciplined team tactically. It is something we have to embrace and be humbled by that a big team like Nigeria that has qualified for the World cup and AFCON [finals] before for a coach to say that about Lesotho, it says a lot about us. It is something I will share with the players. But we have to be level-headed and now put more effort into our work,” he added.

Table-anchors Lesotho will wind up their formalities for the group with a game against Zimbabwe on Monday. Third-placed Nigeria have 14 points going into their decisive match against group leaders Benin on Monday. South Africa face Rwanda’s Amavubi on Tuesday.

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