Lesotho stole a narrow win against the Central African Republic in Thursday’s AFCON qualifying match in Free State Toyota Stadium, which automatically helped Gabon qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
Lesotho’s Neo Mokhachane scored the team’s only goal in the 51st minute after he converted a close-range chance that gave his team the victory. Morocco currently leads Group B with a perfect record, and Gabon comes behind after securing seven points. The victory puts Lesotho in third place, while the Central African Republic sits at the bottom with only three points.
Gabon in the second position is sure to qualify with the assurance that even if Lesotho in the third position wins its one match remaining, it will still not be enough to overtake Gabon. While Lesotho could match Gabon’s seven points if it wins its next game, it will still not take the second position to qualify based on the head-to-head rule after losing once to Gabon and securing a draw in another match.
It was not an easy game between Lesotho and the Central African Republic. Both teams struggled to create chances to help the Central African Republic draw or win and help Lesotho secure more goals. One thing that allowed Lesotho was its defense, which prevented the Central African Republic from creating offensive chances.
CAR’s Louis Mafouta almost scored a goal to equalize the match, but the header attempt in the 73rd minute hit the post, putting the effort to waste.
The win has pushed Lesotho to third place in Group B, taking over from the Central African Republic despite their inability to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco. While CAR moved to the bottom and Morocco and Gabon qualified for the 2025 AFCON.
