Nigeria vs Lesotho Tips and Predictions
The FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification is set to start on the African continent as well. Nigeria, who are always one of the favourites to appear at the final tournament, have been placed in Group C.
The Super Eagles are set to battle it out with South Africa for the automatic qualification spot. However, their campaign will start with a home encounter with minnows Lesotho on Thursday, November 16. The game will kick-off at 5 pm local time.
Previewing our Nigeria vs Lesotho tips, it is difficult to imagine the visitors getting anything out of the match in Uyo. So, our predictions will be based mostly around the hosts.
Nigeria vs Lesotho odds
Over 2.5 goals
To start off, we expect quite a few goals in the match on Thursday. Of course, the majority of those goals will likely be scored by the hosts but we, nonetheless, predict at least three goals in the match. Bet365’s odds on over 2.5 goals stand at 1.61.
Nigeria and Lesotho went head to head two times before. In 2019, Nigeria beat Lesotho 4-2 on the road. And in 2021, the Super Eagles claimed a confident 3-0 victory at home against the Crocodiles. As such, there were at least three goals in both those matches.
As for the upcoming clash, Nigeria will want to make sure that they have a strong start to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign as they will be paying a visit to the solid Zimbabwe up next. Lesotho, who usually deploy a defensive formation, will have little to oppose European stars such as Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze and others.
Nigeria to win to nil
We have hinted at it in the previous part of our Nigeria vs Lesotho tips already, but we do not see the visitors scoring on Thursday. Instead, we believe that it will be a victory to nil for Nigeria, with Bet365 offering 1.61 odds on that.
Lesotho have scored just one goal in their previous three matches and it is difficult to imagine the Crocodiles getting on the scoreboard away against Nigeria. In addition to their attack, the Super Eagles have a solid backline with the likes of Calvin Bassey and Kenneth Omeruo. Their midfield is also good enough to control the ball for the majority of the game.
It is true that Nigeria conceded in two of their previous three games, but those were friendly games against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique. In the match prior – which was against Sao Tome and Principe, a team of similar stature to Lesotho – Jose Peseiro’s men recorded a 6-0 win.
Victor Boniface to score anytime
Finally, if there is one player that shines in the match against Lesotho, then it will be Victor Boniface. The striker has so far scored 11 goals in 16 matches across all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen and is Nigeria’s most in-form player.
Boniface rose to prominence this season, so he made his debut for the national team only this September. The 22-year-old striker has made three appearances since then and scored in the friendly against Saudi Arabia.
However, the Bayer striker is yet to score for the Super Eagles in a competitive match, and Lesotho are the perfect victims. Bet365 give 1.90 odds on him scoring anytime during the match.
Of course, Victor Boniface has to compete with the likes of Victor Osimhen and Kelechi Iheanacho for playing time. So if you decide to go with this tip, you may want to see if the 22-year-old will play the match from the start. Lineups are usually available one hour before kick-off.
Please remember to always gamble responsibly. Our Nigeria vs Lesotho tips are mere suggestions, not a call to action. Always rely on your own judgement in the end.