Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong says the team remains united and full of belief as they prepare to take on Lesotho in Friday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Polokwane, South Africa.
Speaking after the team’s second training session at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, Troost-Ekong said the players are focused on the task ahead and determined to give Nigerians something to cheer about.
“We are optimistic. We’re always going to fight to the end,” Troost-Ekong said. “We believe, we never stop believing. Two important games now, Friday the first one, and then after this we get back to Nigeria, but all focus now on Lesotho. The boys are in camp, focused and the spirit is high. That’s what I can say.”
The centre-back, who has been one of the most consistent voices in the national team setup, added that the players have always believed in their ability to qualify, regardless of the noise from outside.
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“It’s been the same for us all along. We have to win these games. It’s good that everyone else now sees the opportunity, but we saw it before. Like I said, we’re very optimistic and focused on Friday’s game,” he said.
Head coach Eric Chelle currently has 20 players in camp following the arrival of Zaidu Sanusi and Akor Adams on Wednesday. They joined 18 others at The Ranch Hotel in Polokwane, leaving only Alhassan Yusuf yet to arrive. The USA-based midfielder is expected to link up with the team on Thursday.
Chelle has had to make a few late adjustments to his squad due to injuries. Bright Osayi-Samuel, Cyriel Dessers, and Felix Agu have all been ruled out. Crystal Palace’s Christantus Uche and defender Sanusi were called up as replacements, but Russia-based forward Olakunle Olusegun is still waiting for his South African entry visa and could miss the game.
Vice-captain Wilfred Ndidi also stressed the importance of staying focused, warning against complacency ahead of the Lesotho clash.
“You know where we are at the moment, and these two games are very crucial,” Ndidi said. “But first of all, we focus on the Lesotho one, then we look towards the Benin game. The most important thing right now is the Lesotho game.”
Defender Calvin Bassey echoed the same message, saying the squad has enough experience to deal with the pressure that comes with big games.
“We just have to remain calm and do what we have to do. This is not the first time, club or country, that any one of us has been in high-pressure moments. We’ve got an experienced team to handle this situation. It’s just about making sure we do everything right,” Bassey said.
OGC Nice striker Terem Moffi also expressed confidence in the team’s chances, saying the players are determined to make the country proud.
“We’re really confident about qualifying for the World Cup. We have to do our part and wait for the result of the other team. We’re confident things will go our way,” he said.
The Super Eagles will face Lesotho on Friday at 6 p.m. local time (5 p.m. Nigeria time) at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium. The team will return home afterwards to host the Benin Republic in another decisive qualifier four days later.
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