Niger

Match report

Niger secured a 2-1 victory against Lesotho in their opening Group Stage match of the African Cup of Nations qualification campaign on Wednesday. The hosts took an early lead through Daniel Sosah before Oumar Sako doubled their advantage just before the break. Lesotho pulled one back from the penalty spot late on, but the visitors could not find an equaliser.

Sosah broke the deadlock in the thirty-eighth minute, and the hosts were not slow to extend their advantage. Sako struck again on the stroke of half-time, leaving Lesotho to regroup at the interval. The visitors immediately made two changes, bringing on T. Sefali and Itumeleng Kenneth Falene as they searched for a way back into the contest.

And here's the thing about second-half momentum — Lesotho created more chances but lacked precision. Sera Motebang converted a penalty in the eighty-fifth minute to make it interesting, but the crowd had already settled into a comfortable rhythm. Niger made defensive adjustments, bringing on Aboubacar Camara and O. Badamassi to see out the final minutes.

To be fair, the statistics tell a complicated story. Lesotho registered more attacks and corners, yet their shot accuracy sat at a mere 0.29 compared to Niger's 0.63. The hosts managed five shots on target from six attempts inside the penalty area, while the visitors fired fourteen attempts with only four hitting the mark. Possession was virtually even at 51 per cent to 49.

By then, the result had taken shape. Niger's win moves them clear at the top of Group Stage one, while Lesotho face a mountain to climb after dropping points away from home. The visitors had shown resilience with two substitutions in the seventy-fifth minute, but the gap in clinical finishing proved decisive.

Prepared from match data

Key numbers

Possession, % 51 – 49

Shots on target 5 – 4

Shots off target 2 – 7

Attacks 83 – 90

⚽ 38' Daniel Sosah — Goal 🟨 40' Lehlohonolo Fothoane — Yellow card ⚽ 45' Oumar Sako — Goal ⇄ 45' T. Sefali — Substitution ⇄ 45' Itumeleng Kenneth Falene — Substitution 🟨 49' R. Mokokoana — Yellow card 🟨 58' Thabo Makhele — Yellow card ⇄ 60' M. Makhetha — Substitution ⇄ 64' Amadou Wonkoye — Substitution ⇄ 75' Lehlohonolo Fothoane — Substitution ⇄ 75' neo mokhachane — Substitution ⇄ 78' Ali Mohamed — Substitution ⇄ 79' Kairou Amoustapha — Substitution ⚽ 85' Sera Motebang — Penalty ⇄ 90+2' Aboubacar Camara — Substitution ⇄ 90+2' O. Badamassi — Substitution

Match events

38' 1:0 Niger Goal Daniel Sosah assist: O. Badamassi
40' 1:0 Lesotho Yellow card Lehlohonolo Fothoane
45' 2:0 Niger Goal Oumar Sako assist: Amadou Wonkoye
45' 2:0 Lesotho Substitution T. Sefali off: T. Lesaoana
45' 2:0 Lesotho Substitution Itumeleng Kenneth Falene off: Teboho Letsema
49' 2:0 Lesotho Yellow card R. Mokokoana
58' 2:0 Lesotho Yellow card Thabo Makhele
60' 2:0 Lesotho Substitution M. Makhetha off: Thabang Malane
64' 2:0 Niger Substitution Amadou Wonkoye off: Victorien Adebayor
75' 2:0 Lesotho Substitution Lehlohonolo Fothoane off: Tholang Makuru
75' 2:0 Lesotho Substitution neo mokhachane off: Molefi Kuzaya Kulehile
78' 2:0 Niger Substitution Ali Mohamed off: Amadou Sabo
79' 2:0 Niger Substitution Kairou Amoustapha off: H. Ibrahim
85' 2:1 Lesotho Penalty Sera Motebang
90+2' 2:1 Niger Substitution Aboubacar Camara off: Najeeb Yakubu
90+2' 2:1 Niger Substitution O. Badamassi off: Mamane Moustapha Amadou Sabo

Statistics

51 Possession, % 49

5 Shots on target 4

2 Shots off target 7

83 Attacks 90

1 Corners 5

15 Fouls 20

20 Free kicks 15

6 Offsides 3

0 Yellow cards 3

0 Red cards 0

13 Goal kicks 8

15 Throw-ins 20

All statistics

1 Blocked shots 3

76 Failed passes 75

3 Goalkeeper saves 3

0.63 Shot accuracy 0.29

2 Shots from outside the box 1

6 Shots inside the box 13

380 Total passes 336

Line-ups

Starting XI
#	Player	number
2	Abdel Rahim	2
3	Oumar Sako	3
24	Aboubacar Camara	24
12	Ousseini Soumaila Badamassi	12
14	Ali Mohamed Muhammad Al Faz	14
7	Daniel Sosah	7
9	Kairou Amoustapha	9

Substitutes
#	Player	number
21	A. Hassane	21
25	Najeeb Yakubu	25
5	Mamane Moustapha Amadou Sabo	5
8	Mahamadou Amadou Sabo	8
19	H. Amadou	19

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Lesotho

Starting XI
#	Player	number
20	Thabo Makhele	20
11	Neo Mokhachane	11

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Niger — Lesotho: 2:1, Africa Cup of Nations - Qualification

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