Coach of Benin Gernot Rohr (Photo by Imago)
Benin defeated the Super Eagles in the reverse fixture, and they will be looking to do it again…
Benin have gotten a significant boost going into the final round of World Cup Qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria, as one of their key players Andreas Hountondji has been cleared to play, Soccernet.ng reports.
In a previous report, Soccernet.ng revealed how Gernot Rohr was dealing with some key injuries to his squad. Regulars like Abdoul Moumini and Rodolfo Aloko had already been confirmed to be unavailable for this international break.
But there was still some level of uncertainty over Hountondji and Junior Olaitan’s availability, as both players have been struggling with slight injuries from their clubs.
However, in a new development, per Joueurs Beninoise, Hountondji has joined the rest of his teammates and his training well.
This was also confirmed by coach Rohr, who expressed confidence that the St. Pauli attacker would be fit to play.
“Andreas Hountondji arrived slightly injured, but it’s a minot injury. And as we saw at the training, he proved that he’s in form. He’s also very focused on his movements in front of goal,” the Franco-German tactician said.
The Super Eagles Have To Be Careful With Benin
Benin’s current coach Gernot Rohr was the Super Eagles’ former coach. And one thing he has proven so far is that he knows how to qualify his teams for tournaments.
When he was Nigeria’s coach, the team qualified for tournaments with ease. But since his sack four years ago, it has been a real chore to qualify for the World Cup.
Now, he is edging closer to a 2026 World Cup ticket with Benin despite the disparity in quality with other teams in the group. Even if they don’t make it, they would still look at the entire series and be proud of themselves.
Benin will need to defeat the Super Eagles in Nigeria, and knowing how great Rohr is with qualifying fixtures, the Super Eagles will have to be extra careful and ruthless. They must look to beat Benin and beat them well.