South Africa Maintains World Cup Qualifying Lead with 3-0 Victory Over Lesotho
South Africa secured a 3-0 victory against Lesotho, solidifying their position at the top of their qualifying group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mohau Nkota opened the scoring for Bafana Bafana in the 15th minute with a well-placed volley from a tight angle. Lyle Foster extended the lead to 2-0 in the 63rd minute by tapping in a rebound after Lesotho's goalkeeper, Sekhoane Moerane, could only deflect Aubrey Modiba's shot into the air. Just four minutes later, Foster set up Oswin Appollis for the third goal.
Benin remains three points behind South Africa in second place after Steve Mounie's second-half header secured a win over Zimbabwe.
Although South Africa has not participated in the World Cup since hosting the tournament in 2010, their current lead in Group C is under scrutiny. FIFA has yet to make a decision regarding South Africa's fielding of Teboho Mokoena during a 2-0 victory against Lesotho in March, where he should have been suspended.
South Africa acknowledges their mistake but asserts that they will retain the three points since there was no protest from their opponents. Coach Hugo Broos commented, "We did something bad, we did something we shouldn't do, but there was no complaint."
Continental powerhouse Nigeria trails South Africa by nine points but has the opportunity to narrow the gap when they host Rwanda on Saturday at 16:00 GMT. The Super Eagles are set to face South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.
Only the nine group winners are guaranteed a spot in the finals, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States next year. However, the four best second-place teams from Africa will have a chance to qualify through play-offs and intercontinental qualifiers.
Wissa and Ouattara Shine in Other Matches
In other news, Yoane Wissa scored on his first appearance of the season, helping DR Congo secure a 4-1 victory over South Sudan and keeping their World Cup aspirations alive. Cedric Bakambu contributed two goals, while Wissa, following his transfer to Newcastle United, ensured the Congolese team moved four points clear at the top of Group B ahead of Senegal's match against Sudan.
Dango Ouattara, despite missing a penalty for Burkina Faso, redeemed himself by scoring twice in a 6-0 rout of 10-man Djibouti in Group A. After failing to convert a penalty following Yabe Siad's red card for a deliberate handball, Ouattara found the net with a curling free-kick to make it 5-0 before adding a late penalty to complete the scoring.
Burkina Faso is currently two points behind Egypt, who will host Ethiopia at 19:00 GMT. The Stallions must defeat the Pharaohs on home soil on Tuesday to maintain their hopes of finishing first in the group.
Uganda also revived their chances in Group G with a 4-0 home win over Mozambique, thanks to two goals from Rogers Mato. The Cranes are now in second place, six points behind Algeria, with three rounds of fixtures remaining.