AFCON qualifier: Benin must forget Uyo loss, says Rohr

Benin Republic coach Gernot Rohr has urged his players to put behind them the 3-0 defeat to Nigeria in Uyo, preparatory to Thursday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group D fixture at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The German tactician, who guided the Super Eagles to the 2019 AFCON and 2018 World Cup, is banking on his side’s impressive home record at their adopted Ivorian home ground, where they secured a shock 2-1 win over Nigeria in a World Cup 2026 qualifier in June.

“I’ve been in Abidjan since a few days ago to prepare our training session and our camping in the best way. We have to forget the loss in Uyo and approach this match with togetherness because we need a good result,” Rohr told NationSport.

The Cheetahs, who sit second in Group D with six points, must secure positive results against Nigeria and Libya to sustain their qualification hopes, with Rwanda just a point behind in third place.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles, who top the group with 10 points, need just a point from their remaining two games to join already qualified nations like Morocco, Algeria, Angola, DR Congo, Egypt, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon at next year’s tournament in Morocco.

Despite the daunting task ahead, Rohr praised Nigeria’s attacking talent, particularly singling out Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman for special recognition.

“We see that in your list you have Victor Osimhen, Lookman, Moses Simon, and all the big strikers. For me, Lookman is the best one in Africa to win the golden award for the footballer of the year; he is a fantastic player. But I hope he will not score against us like he did in the last game in Uyo,” the former Bayern Munich defender added.

Super Eagles caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen has named a strong 23-man squad for the double-header against Benin and Rwanda, with in-form striker Osimhen returning after missing the previous fixtures through injury.

Nigeria were awarded three points and three goals by CAF’s disciplinary committee for the botched game against Libya in October, and the three-time African champions will be looking to build on their recent momentum.