National Teams
AFCON 2025 Qualifiers: Rohr acknowledges challenges ahead of Benin-Nigeria clash
By: Wale Mustapha
Benin Republic’s Head Coach, Gernot Rohr, has admitted that defeating Nigeria’s Super Eagles again in their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier will be a daunting task.
Rohr, who masterminded a stunning 2-0 victory for the Cheetahs over Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers back in June, is now focused on replicating that success in Thursday’s AFCON encounter.
The Franco-German tactician, who previously coached Nigeria, believes that the Super Eagles have significantly strengthened since their last meeting. Despite this, Rohr remains optimistic that Benin Republic can still secure a positive result.
“Repeating the feat of June is going to be complicated, because Nigeria is now at full strength. But we believe in it,” Rohr told Foot Africa in an exclusive interview ahead of the high-stakes match.
Benin Republic will face off against Nigeria at the Felix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, at 8:00 PM Nigerian time on Thursday. With both teams having their sights set on AFCON qualification, the match promises to be an intense and pivotal fixture.
Rohr’s side will need to pull off another monumental performance to derail the Super Eagles, who will be looking to bounce back from their World Cup qualifying defeat and secure their place in the 2025 tournament.
