As the stakes intensify for a spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Benin Republic’s head coach, Gernot Rohr, has highlighted Nigeria’s defense as a potential vulnerability ahead of their high-stakes encounter.
The Cheetahs will face off against their West African neighbors, the Super Eagles, at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Thursday. Both teams are eager to secure their place in the tournament finals.
Benin currently holds second place in Group D, accumulating six points from four matches, narrowly ahead of Rwanda, who are just one point behind and face Libya in a simultaneous qualifier.
To strengthen their chances of qualification, Benin must secure a decisive result against Nigeria, who need only one point from their last two matches to confirm their AFCON berth.
Rohr, a former coach of the Super Eagles, voiced his confidence in Benin’s chances, citing Nigeria’s recent defensive struggles as a potential advantage.
““We have the return of Lenny Piringuel, who, with his new club Rouen, is starting to find his mark,” said Rohr. “His liveliness interests us a lot, especially against a Nigerian team that could have small problems in defence, we hope.”
Nigeria’s backline will indeed be missing the experienced Semi Ajayi of West Brom, sidelined due to injury. Caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen has called up newcomers, including Gabriel Osho from Auxerre and Victor Collins from Nasarawa United, who will join regulars William Troost-Ekong and Fulham’s Calvin Bassey.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles squad is gathering momentum in Abidjan. Eleven players are already in camp following recent arrivals, including Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City, Kelechi Iheanacho from Sevilla, and Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, all of whom joined the squad for their first training session on Tuesday. Osho, Frank Onyeka, and Raphael Onyedika had arrived earlier on Monday.
Eguavoen and his coaching team eagerly await further reinforcements, including prominent players such as Troost-Ekong, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Alex Iwobi.
With Nigeria needing just one point from their two remaining matches, their pathway to AFCON 2025 qualification appears straightforward. Yet, Rohr’s Cheetahs are determined to make this journey challenging for the Super Eagles.
