…Rohr wary of Osimhen, others
Benin Republic coach Gernot Rohr believes his side can secure maximum points when they face Nigeria’s Super Eagles in their final 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Tuesday (today). However, he admits the Cheetahs must remain defensively solid to contain Nigeria’s attacking firepower.
Benin currently sits top of Group C with 17 points, followed by South Africa with 15 points and Nigeria with 14 points. A victory will guarantee Rohr’s men a historic qualification for their first-ever World Cup, while a draw could also be enough, provided South Africa fails to win against Rwanda at the Mbombela Stadium.
For Nigeria, only a convincing win over Benin, coupled with a draw between South Africa and Rwanda, will keep their qualification hopes alive.
Rohr, who managed Nigeria between 2016 and 2021, said his players are confident and motivated to finish the job, having exceeded expectations so far.
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“We are happy to be in Nigeria and to be leading the group. Nobody believed we would be in this position at the start of the qualifiers,” Rohr said during Monday’s press conference.
“We can do it, we can beat Nigeria. We’re the only team among the top three whose destiny is in our own hands. It will be a surprise to win in Nigeria, but we’ve done it before when we won in Abidjan, and we’ll try to do it again.”
The Franco-German tactician outlined his tactical approach, emphasizing balance between attack and defence.
“We want to control the game if possible and play on the counter because we have quick players and good headers of the ball,” he explained.
“We’ll use diagonal passes, long balls, and exploit our speed in attack. But to win, we must defend well, Nigeria have strong strikers, especially Victor Osimhen, and we have to stay compact.”
If Benin qualify, they will become only the second African debutants at the 2026 World Cup after Cape Verde, who sealed their place on Monday. For Nigeria, failure to advance would mark a second consecutive World Cup miss, following their absence from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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