Lesotho vs Nigeria Prediction for the Match on October 10, 2025

Lesotho vs Nigeria: Prediction for the Match on October 10, 2025

Lesotho will play Nigeria in their Round 9 FIFA World Cup African qualifier at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. This game is going to be very exciting. For a while, it looked like Nigeria would not be able to make it to the World Cup again. After the international break in September, their chances didn't look good. But a change in the standings has given their campaign new life. South Africa lost points for having Teboho Mokoena, an ineligible player, play in their March game against Lesotho. This choice has put Nigeria, now in third place, just three points behind Benin and South Africa, with two games left to play.

Lesotho: Form and Statistics

Lesotho will play Nigeria in Polokwane, South Africa, knowing that they still have a small chance to qualify for their first World Cup. There is a chance, but it's a long shot. They have nine points from eight games, thanks to South Africa's mistake that made Mokoena ineligible. Lesotho is now five points behind Benin and South Africa and two points behind Nigeria and Rwanda. This is a tough challenge. It seems unlikely that they will be able to win the group after the games in October. Lesotho has only won one of their last eight games, though. Their 3-0 win over South Africa came from an error by Mokoena, which makes it hard to see how they could catch up to the four teams ahead of them.

Lesotho News and Lineup

The Crocodiles also have a disadvantage because they play "home" games in South Africa. They will still try to shock Nigeria and hope for good results in other places. Captain K. Makateng, who plays in the middle and leads their rare attacks, will be very important. It will also be very important for Thabo Makhele to lead the defense.

Lesotho can be proud of how they did in Group C, even though they almost got kicked out. They are ranked 153rd in the world, which means they will finish ahead of Zimbabwe, which is ranked 125th. They are 108 places lower than Nigeria in the rankings, but they did get a draw when they played each other on Matchday 1.

🔖 Lesotho Expected Lineup 

Moerane, Malane, Mkwanazi, Makhele, Matlabe, Bereng, Matsau, Toloane, Makateng, Ntso, Motebang

Nigeria: Form and Statistics

Nigeria is known for their attacking style of play. They depend on Wilfred Ndidi to keep the midfield stable and Ademola Lookman to break down defenses with his direct runs. These two are very important for moving Nigeria from defense to attack and giving them a chance to control the game. The Super Eagles really need to win. They've only won two games so far, but they've lost one. Five of their FIFA World Cup qualifying games ended in ties. Nigeria has more good players than their next opponents, which could give them the upper hand even though they are having problems. Nigeria still has a chance to win the World Cup, but they don't have full control over their own fate. They need to win both games against Lesotho and Benin and hope that South Africa loses points to Zimbabwe and Rwanda. A month ago, things looked a lot worse after they drew 1-1 with South Africa and fell six points behind. But South Africa's 2-0 win over Lesotho was later changed to a 3-0 loss because one of their players wasn't eligible. This gave Nigeria new hope. The Super Eagles are still in third place in Group C, behind Benin and South Africa, but they are in a better spot than they were. They only have two wins in eight games, so they need to beat Lesotho in Polokwane to keep their hopes of qualifying alive.

Nigeria Team News and Lineup

Nigeria still has a small chance of being one of the best runners-up, but Group C doesn't offer any hope right now. Gabon, Madagascar, DR Congo, and Burkina Faso are all ahead of South Africa in the standings. Other countries, like Cameroon, Namibia, and Uganda, are also ahead of South Africa.

🔖 Nigeria Expected Lineup 

Nwabali, Osayi-Samuel, Onyemaechi, Troost-Ekong, Bassey, Ndidi, Onyeka, Simon, Iwobi, Lookman, Osimhen

Lesotho vs Nigeria: Head-to-Head statistics

In the last six years, Nigeria has played Lesotho three times. The last time they met was in Nigeria for the World Cup qualifiers, when Jose Peseiro was in charge. The game ended in a 1-1 tie, with Motlomelo Mkwanazi scoring for one team and Semi Ajayi scoring for the other. The teams played each other in the AFCON qualifiers in 2019 and 2021 before that. Nigeria won both times, 3-0 and 4-2.

Lesotho vs Nigeria: Betting Tips & Odds

• Sera Motebang, yet to score in qualifying, will be determined to break his duck against Nigeria as Lesotho aims to pull off a surprise.
• Sekhoane Moerane, the goalkeeper, could play a key role in stopping the Super Eagles' attack. He’ll need a standout performance to keep Nigeria’s forwards at bay on Friday.
• For Nigeria, Victor Osimhen’s return is a huge boost. The Galatasaray star will be vital in their attack as he looks to add to his three qualifying goals.
• Ademola Lookman, despite a slow start to the season with Atalanta, is expected to start against Lesotho. Moses Simon is also likely to feature from the beginning.

Lesotho vs Nigeria Match Prediction, 10th October 2025

Coach Eric Chelle's Super Eagles have settled into a 4-4-2 diamond formation, which he first tried out at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford during the 2025 Unity Cup. Lesotho, led by Leslie Notši, likes to play in a 4-3-3 shape when they have the ball. Without the ball, his midfielders stay close together. When one midfielder drops back to help the defense, the others move to the back five. Likuena will feel the pressure because of how they've been playing lately. Nigeria is likely to win the next World Cup qualifier.

Our match prediction is +2.5 Handicap Lesotho with odds at 1.66 on the Bet365 bookmaker. 

Our betting tip is Team 2 under 3.0 with odds at 1.60 on the Betway bookmaker. 

Our last match prediction is Under 3.5 Totals with odds at 1.60 on 1Xbet bookmaker.