By Wale Mustapha
Benin Republic midfielder Junior Olaitan has expressed deep disappointment following his side’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, after a crushing 4–0 loss to Nigeria in Uyo on Tuesday night.
The Cheetahs came into the final Group C fixture with hopes of making history by reaching their first-ever World Cup, but those dreams were dashed by a dominant Super Eagles performance at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Reacting after the match, Olaitan admitted the team had let their nation down.
“We have disappointed the people of our dear country,” the 22-year-old said. “This is not how we planned to go about this qualification, but we will never disappoint them forever.”
Despite the setback, the midfielder remained optimistic about the team’s future, stressing that the current squad is still growing.
“Yes, I’m positive things will get better. We are building on this, and we’ll be back and better next time,” he added.
With their World Cup hopes over, Benin Republic will now turn their focus to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, set to kick off in December.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
