The Super Eagles’ hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup suffered another setback on Tuesday night after Benin Republic secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Lesotho to climb into second place in Group C, pushing Nigeria down to third, Bold Sports reports.
Nigeria had temporarily moved into second place following their thrilling 1-1 draw against South Africa at the Free State Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday evening.
However, Benin’s emphatic win, powered by goals from Steve Mounié, Andreas Hountondji, Hassane Imourane, and Junior Olaitan, restored them to the playoff position with just two matches remaining in the qualifiers.
Benin started strongly despite a delayed kickoff caused by electricity issues at the stadium. Their early dominance was rewarded when Steve Mounié tapped into an empty net to give the hosts the lead.
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The experienced striker turned provider shortly before the half-hour mark, setting up Andreas Hountondji for Benin’s second goal after a poor pass from Lesotho’s goalkeeper.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when Hassane Imourane’s deflected effort found its way into the net, giving Benin a commanding 3-0 advantage at halftime.
The hosts completed the rout in the 66th minute when Junior Olaitan, who had earlier struck the post from a stunning freekick, headed home after his initial shot was parried by the goalkeeper.
Speaking after the match, Benin’s head coach Gernot Rohr praised his team’s progress and urged them to stay focused on qualification.
“With 14 points, we not only have the chance to finish first in the group, but we can also end up among the best runners-up,” Rohr said. “So, we absolutely must keep going down this path.”
“The team has become balanced: it doesn’t concede goals, it fights together, and it also has technical resources. We’re seeing young players who are confident, and we have hope, without being overly optimistic either. We know it’s going to be tough.”
Benin will travel to face Rwanda and Nigeria in their final two qualification games, but Rohr expressed confidence ahead of the crucial October fixtures.
“We know Rwanda and Nigeria well, the latter of which we’ve already beaten. As for them, we don’t know if they’re still in a position to qualify. If they’re not, maybe it’ll be less difficult.”
The result against Lesotho lifts Benin to 14 points, just three points behind leaders South Africa. Nigeria, meanwhile, remain on 11 points and now face an uphill battle to secure qualification, needing maximum points in their final two fixtures and favorable results elsewhere to stand a chance.
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