Nigeria aims to clinch their place in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as they prepare to face Benin at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Thursday.
On the other hand, the Cheetahs of Benin are determined to secure three points that could bring them closer to tournament qualification.
Nigeria has established a four-point advantage in Group D of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, albeit under unusual circumstances.
Following a 1-0 win against Libya in Uyo during the first leg of October’s AFCON qualifiers, the Super Eagles traveled to Libya for the return match but encountered significant challenges from the home crowd.
The West African team was stranded at a Libyan airport for over 12 hours without access to food, water, or internet after their flight was unexpectedly redirected, leading them to withdraw from the match.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) intervened, and after an investigation, Nigeria was awarded full points, increasing their total to 10 after four matches.
A single point against Benin will guarantee the Super Eagles a spot in AFCON 2025, although the team is eager to secure all three points, particularly since the match will take place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, due to Benin’s inadequate stadium facilities.
In the previous encounter, Nigeria triumphed 3-0, with a standout performance from Ademola Lookman, a nominee for the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year, who scored twice, alongside a goal from Victor Osimhen, the reigning CAF Men’s Player of the Year.
Benin achieved a 2-1 victory the last time they hosted Nigeria for a World Cup qualifying match in June and will seek to replicate that success on Thursday.
The Cheetahs have bounced back from their initial defeat to Nigeria in the opening AFCON qualifying match, securing consecutive victories of 2-1 and 3-0 against Libya and Rwanda, respectively.
However, Gernot Rohr’s team suffered a 2-1 loss to Rwanda in the return fixture and currently sits in second place with six points, just one point ahead of the Wasps in third.
This marks the 10th encounter between the two teams, with the Cheetahs securing victory only twice and suffering defeat in the remaining seven matches.
Team News
Benin may be without Vasteras forward Matteo Ahlinvi, who was substituted after just 34 minutes in the match against Hammarby due to an injury. However, he is anticipated to join the camp for further evaluation.
Augsburg striker Steve Mounie, who netted the decisive goal in June’s win over Nigeria, will once again be a key player to watch, alongside Grenoble forward Junior Olaitan.
Nigeria will be missing West Brom defender Semi Ajayi, sidelined with a muscle injury, as well as South African-based defender Olisa Ndah. They have been replaced by Auxerre defender Gabriel Osho and home-based defender Victor Collins from Nasarawa United.
Osimhen makes his return to the squad after being unavailable last month due to injury, along with Real Sociedad striker Sadiq Umar, who has also recovered from an ACL injury.
