2026 FIFA WCQ: Mikel warns Eagles against complacency as Osimhen and Lookman lead team against Lesotho

Former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi has challenged the Super Eagles to take responsibility and deliver the results needed to keep their 2026 FIFA World Cup dream alive when they face Lesotho on Friday in Polokwane, South Africa.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast alongside Chris McHardy, Mikel warned that failing to qualify for a second consecutive tournament would be “a crime” and called on the players to shut out off-field distractions and rise to the occasion.

He described Nigeria’s qualifying campaign as hanging by a thread, adding that the situation is still redeemable if the players set their minds to play for their country with their hearts.

 “First to qualify, you know, again, we’ve seen, you know, lucky us, um, South Africa has been deducted three points for some reason, ineligible players,” Mikel said. “So that’s good for us. I think right now you can; you can literally say the group is, it’s sort of a shootout group.

“It’s a shootout group. We have Benin at home and go to win both. We have to win both. We have to win both. I don’t care what’s going on. I don’t care what’s happening. I don’t care what’s going on. I need the players. I know; I still know a lot of them in the squad. I need them. We need them. Nigerians need them.”

The Super Eagles sit three points behind South Africa and the Benin Republic in Group C and face Lesotho in Polokwane on Friday before returning to Uyo to host Benin.

Meanwhile, Africa’s best players in the past two years, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, will lead Nigeria’s charge for crucial three points when the Super Eagles go up against the Crocodiles of Lesotho.

The clash is the penultimate matchday of the series, with Nigeria needing all three points and favour from elsewhere to stand in good stead heading into the final matchday, when they host present group leaders Benin Republic at Uyo’s Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

Coach Eric Chelle has been unable to call on wing-back Olaoluwa Aina, injured on an atrocious Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein pitch in the clash with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana last month, and defender Bright Osayi-Samuel, midfielder Raphael Onyedika and forward Cyriel Dessers are also out injured.

However, Chelle welcomes back Osimhen (who missed the clash with the Bafana after sustaining an injury against Rwanda in Uyo days earlier), and the triumvirate that shone brightly at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations (the others being Ademola Lookman and Simon Moses) is intact for this big challenge.

Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali is most likely to retain his place in goal, with Captain William Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi, Semi Ajayi, Zaidu Sanusi and Benjamin Frederick all in line for shirts in the defence line, and Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi and Christantus Uche available for selection in midfield.

Osimhen, Lookman and Moses are top for the fore, but Chelle also has Samuel Chukwueze, Tolu Arokodare, Terem Moffi and Jerome Akor Adams all in good form.