BY SAB OSUJI

Sekhoane Benedict Moerane, goalkeeper and Captain of Lesotho Senior National Team, Crocodiles, has boasted that they have neither respect nor fear of the Super Eagles going into Thursday's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Exclusivenews.com.ng reports.

The group C match will be staged inside the Nest of Champions, Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, at 5pm Nigeria time.

Moerane admitted that the Super Eagles are one of Africa's best teams loaded to the brim with foreign based players as opposed to the Crocodiles with only six foreign based professionals but insisted they have a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification mission to accomplish.

The Crocodiles goalkeeper spoke during Wednesday's pre-match press conference, said the match will be a tough one.

"Looking forward to the game tomorrow (Thursday, November 16), I'll say it will be a difficult game", Sekhoane Moerane responded sharply.

He continued: "We're going to play a big team, Nigeria, one of the best in Africa, but since its not the first time (we are) playing against Nigeria, I think tomorrow's game is going to be a difficult game.

"We're going to expect a lot from Nigeria. They are going to take the game to us. But as you can see in todays (Wednesday's) opening group C games, it ended 0-0 between Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

"That's the game of football for you. So, I think the Super Eagles gonna take the game to us in order for them to take the three points.

"So, we're expecting a lot from them but we're not going to respect them. Yeah, we're not going to fear them. We, too, will be taking the game to them as well", Moerane boasted.

The 26-year-old who plies trade with Lesotho Mounted Police Service FC, sounded confident that despite having only six foreign based players in their team does not take any credit away from their quality and potential against a Super Eagles team with only one home based player.

"We know that Super Eagles are a good team with a lot of players. They have only one player from the home league but we've got almost six from outside with majority of the rest playing in Lesotho, including myself.
So, may the better team win".

Super Eagles claimed victory in all previous four confrontations with The Crocodiles. Moerane admits turning the tide especially in this fixture heaps loads of pressure on them.

"Yes, a lot of pressure, lots of pressure on our shoulders", he admitted.

"But,I think tomorrow, we gonna bring the game to them (the Eagles). We are expecting to win and they (Super Eagles) to win too".

On his team's ambition in the USA/Mexico/Canada 2026 FIFA World, the Crocodiles goal tender declared sharply that their ultimate ambition was to qualify for the Mundial.

"We're expecting to qualify for the World Cup 2026", concluded.