The Lesotho vs South Africa match made football history. Why?
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
The South Africa national team defeated Lesotho 3-0 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, taking another step toward reaching the tournament’s final stage for the first time since 2010.
Although the match was technically an “away” fixture for South Africa, it was held in Bloemfontein, less than 150 kilometers from Maseru, Lesotho’s capital. Lesotho itself lacks stadiums that meet FIFA requirements for hosting official matches.
This game was a true rarity in world football. Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, making it one of only three enclaves in the world, alongside San Marino and Vatican City, which are both within Italy. However, Vatican City is not a FIFA member, and San Marino has never faced Italy in an official competition.
Thus, the Lesotho-South Africa clash stands as the only instance in football history where a nation has played against the country that completely surrounds it.
