Nigeria: Super Eagles slip to third as Rohr’s Benin hammer Lesotho in World Cup race

After South Africa crushed Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup dreams in Bloemfontein, Benin Republic slammed the Super Eagles another damaging blow after dismantling Lesotho 4-0 in Cotonou on Tuesday night, Soccernet.ng reports. 

The emphatic result saw Gernot Rohr’s side leapfrog the Super Eagles into second place in Group C, leaving Nigeria with an increasingly narrow route to the finals.

Nigeria had earlier fought to a 1-1 draw against South Africa in Bloemfontein, briefly moving into second spot.

But Benin’s ruthless display ensured the Super Eagles were quickly knocked back to third with only two games remaining.

Benin's Cheetahs began aggressively, despite a delayed kickoff caused by power issues inside the stadium.

Their intent was rewarded when Steve Mounié pounced on a defensive lapse to slot into an empty net. The Brest striker then turned provider, capitalising on a poor pass from Lesotho’s goalkeeper to set up Andreas Hountondji for 2-0 inside 30 minutes.

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Things unraveled further for Lesotho when Hassane Imourane’s shot took a wicked deflection to wrong-foot the goalkeeper, putting Benin three goals up at halftime.

Any faint hopes of a comeback evaporated in the 66th minute, as Junior Olaitan, who had earlier rattled the post with a thunderous free-kick, headed home after his first effort was parried.

It was a complete performance that further showcased Benin’s transformation under former Super Eagles boss Rohr.

The German coach, who took Nigeria to their last World Cup appearance in 2018, praised his side’s balance and resilience after the encounter.

“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 at the post-match press conference. 

“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.”

The victory leaves Benin just three points behind leaders South Africa, while Nigeria sit on 11 points and face an uphill task.

To qualify, the Super Eagles must take maximum points against Rwanda and Benin in October, while also relying on results elsewhere.

Rohr struck a note of quiet confidence about those decisive fixtures.

“We know Rwanda and Nigeria well, the latter of which we’ve already beaten,” Rohr pointed out. “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.”

Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and looks set to miss out on next edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. It would be the first time the Super Eagles would miss consecutive World Cups since their debut in 1994.