The victory was a significant result for Lesotho, who are still set to face Bafana Bafana later this year in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The match at Toyota Stadium seemed destined for a draw until the 83rd minute, when Makara Ntaitsane broke the deadlock, calmly finishing off a brilliantly executed long-range free kick.

A quick VAR check confirmed there was no offside, and the goal stood – securing a sensational win for the team from the Mountain Kingdom.

Lesotho’s coach, Leslie Notsi, praised the impact of his substitutes and the composure shown by the players under pressure.

“We encouraged them to stay calm when they got into the box. The changes we made were important because we could see the fresh legs might make a difference and help us get something out of the game,” Notsi said.

“We’re happy – quite satisfied, actually.”

In Thursday’s second Group B encounter at Toyota Stadium, Angola and Namibia – two sides with a long-standing rivalry – played to a thrilling 1–1 draw.

Ivan Kamberipa and PedroBondo Francisco. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Angola were reduced to ten men in the 61st minute after Randy Nteka was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge. Despite being a man down, the Palancas Negras managed to take the lead in the 91st minute, when Laurindo Dilson Maria Aurélio – better known as Depú – slotted home the tournament’s first penalty.

But Namibia weren’t ready to give up so easily. Deep into stoppage time, Ivan Kamberipa found the equaliser with a powerful header, capitalising on a lapse in Angola’s defence to go unmarked in the box.

In Friday’s only fixture, Zambia will take on the Comoros in Group D, with the match scheduled to kick off at 18:00 at Toyota Stadium in a cold and wet Bloemfontein.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg