The first game of the Super Eagles in trying to correct their grave error of failing to qualify for the biggest World Cup ever, last year in Qatar, ended in what could seemed to be a familiar result – a loss, right at the new home ground of the senior men’s national team, Uyo, against Lesotho.

The Super Eagles largely underwhelmed fans who were in the stadium under the rain to watch their beloved team at least get a draw and console them on a path that would have caused PTSD for a larger percentage of the crowd, as the team could not qualify for Qatar 2022, which by the way is still fresh in the mind of many Nigerians.

The game started rather slowly as fans only just started to make their way into the stadium after the governor of the host state had announced shortly before kick off that the gates be thrown open for supporters to watch the game.

The Super Eagles were not able to carve out much chances and to make it worse, they played without urgency, like there was nothing to play for, and through the caginess of the game, Lesotho had their first attempts at goal before the Super Eagles could even register any effort on goal.

As the game progressed, the Super Eagles seemed to get a little bit of rhythm but could not exactly create any clear cut chance.

With the chances coming few and far between, they peppered the left wing, with Ademola Lookman flashing but did not really show as his lack of form continued from the Super Eagles game against Saudi Arabia.

The clearest of the few chances came after Awoniyi flicked on a ball into the path of Ademola Lookman who squared the ball back on to the path of his teammate but he was ahead of the ball and it went agonizingly wide with the goalkeeper out of the way.

The first half ended with nothing doing and so the second half started in a cagey fashion as the Super Eagles continued to recycle the ball possession but lacked in the actual creation of chances let alone scoring.

The Crocodiles of Lesotho would go ahead and shock the home fans after they got a corner kick was swung in and Mkwanazi Motlomelo got his head to it.

Jose Peseiro quickly responded with two substitutions, taking off Ademola Lookman and Taiwo Awoniyi for Moses Simon and Terem Moffi.

The Substitutions seemingly paid off as the Super Eagles equalized after a passage of play earned the Super Eagles a corner kick which Semi Ajayi nodded home from a Kelechi Iheanacho corner.

The Super Eagles seemed to add some eagerness before the goal, but it awkwardly dropped a bit after the goal only to be on the upward trajectory as time seemed to approach the 90th minute mark almost as fast as it came at the last AFCON tournament against Tunisia.

Signalling an attacking intent, Peseiro threw on Joe Aribo for Frank Onyeka and Bruno Onyemeachi of Jamilu Collins, and then much later, Ola Aina in for Bright Osayi-Samuel who once again, impressed fans with his display.

The Crocodiles of Lesotho held their own defensively and would not budge to the pressure the Super Eagles mounted, even amidst many uncompleted passes and long balls that never met their targets.

Lesotho held strong and produced a result nobody would have called few months before when the draws were made for the World Cup Qualifiers group stage.

The Super Eagles have an opportunity to appease its fans who are now fast losing love for them as they play Zimbabwe on Sunday away at Kigali, the borrowed home ground of Zimbabwe for the qualifying series.