Lesotho’s late hero, Lehlohonolo Fothoane, came off the bench to secure a dramatic 1-1 draw against Rwanda in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at Amahoro Stadium on Tuesday.
Rwanda, still reeling from a 2-0 home defeat to Nigeria in their previous qualifier, looked on course for victory after Jojea Kwizera broke the deadlock in the 58th minute, scoring the first goal under new coach Adel Amrouche.
Meanwhile, Lesotho entered the contest aiming to bounce back from their own 2-0 loss to South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at Peter Mokaba Stadium.
The match remained goalless at halftime, but the hosts found a breakthrough through Kwizera’s strike.
However, Rwanda’s hopes of holding onto the lead were dashed when Fothoane struck in the 82nd minute, silencing the home crowd and rescuing a crucial point for Lesotho.
The two teams had previously met in June 2024 at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, where Rwanda edged out Lesotho 1-0 in another World Cup qualifier.
Despite dropping points, Rwanda remains second in the group with eight points, trailing leaders South Africa by five.
Bafana Bafana strengthened their hold on the top spot with a 2-0 victory over Benin at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Ivory Coast.
