Last month, Nigeria’s Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 stalemate by South Africa in a heated encounter…
Samuel Chukwueze, forward for the Super Eagles, attributed the team’s inability to secure a win over South Africa to the poor condition of the playing field, according to Soccernet.ng.
Nigeria’s aspirations for the 2026 World Cup took a hit following their draw with South Africa, a match marked by intense physicality and tactical gamesmanship.
Similar to many African teams, South Africa resorted to aggressive and unsporting tactics to ensure they avoided defeat.
The South African Football Association selected the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein as the venue. However, as reported by Soccernet.ng, this stadium is primarily a rugby ground that was hastily adapted for football, despite South Africa having access to superior stadiums.
The substandard pitch visibly hampered the Super Eagles’ performance, with players visibly struggling to adapt to the uneven surface.
A glimpse of the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein, where South Africa faced Nigeria.
pic.twitter.com/Sbyihu1Lr6– POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) September 8, 2025
Ola Aina was the most unfortunate, sustaining a hamstring injury that will sideline him until late November or early December.
Today, Nigeria faces Lesotho, but the match will take place in South Africa since Lesotho lacks a stadium that meets FIFA’s World Cup qualifying standards.
The fixture is scheduled for the Peter Mokaba Stadium, renowned for having one of the finest pitches in South Africa.
During Thursday’s training session, Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen discussed the stadium’s pitch, with Chukwueze praising the quality of the turf at Peter Mokaba.
He confidently claimed that if the Super Eagles had played on such a surface against South Africa last month, they would have netted at least three goals.
“Look at this pitch, yet they took us to Bloemfontein. If we had played here against South Africa and didn’t score at least three goals, then call me a liar,” Chukwueze remarked.
Osimhen responded, “If the match was here, we definitely would have beaten them.”
Watch the video:
Nigeria’s star Victor Osimhen and teammates praising the pristine pitch at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Lesotho will host Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier on Friday at 18:00. #FARPost… pic.twitter.com/CljQKwwKL0– FARPost_ZA (@FARPostZA) October 9, 2025
With No More Excuses, the Super Eagles Must Secure a Convincing Win Over Lesotho
Samuel Chukwueze’s explanation for the draw against South Africa centered on the poor stadium conditions. Now, with the upcoming match set on one of Africa’s best pitches, the Super Eagles have no justification for anything less than a dominant victory.
Lesotho is considered a significantly weaker side, ranked 108 places below Nigeria in the FIFA standings.
The last encounter between these two teams on Nigerian soil ended in a disappointing draw for the Super Eagles. This time, a comprehensive victory is imperative.
Recent reports suggest Nigeria could qualify as one of the best runners-up in the group. However, this scenario hinges on emphatic wins in their remaining fixtures against Lesotho and Benin to strengthen their position.
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