FOR the third time in six months, Nigeria and the Benin Republic will do battle on Thursday (today) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, as they seek to seal their automatic spots for the 2025 AFCON.
After beating the Cheetahs 3-0 during the first leg at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, in September, the Super Eagles are visiting the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Ivory Coast—the Benin Republic’s adopted home ground—for the umpteenth time this year, needing a win to cement their automatic spot in Morocco 2025.
Ultimately, a draw is the bare minimum needed for Nigeria to advance, and the Super Eagles will also be playing to avoid a repeat of their 2-1 defeat to the Cheetahs at the same ground in June during the ill-fated 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Eagles are currently top of the qualifying Group D with 10 points, but their opponents and second-placed Benin Republic, who are four points behind them, need a win to remain in contention for the second automatic spot.
This knowledge will inform a feisty approach in the encounter that will be officiated by Senegalese referee Issa Sy.
Austin Eguavoen’s men have been almost perfect, winning three out of four matches without conceding a goal, but the Benin Republic, led by former Nigeria coach Genort Rohr, cannot afford any more slip-ups following the tumble in Kigali, as they could still be tossed if they lose their last two games, and Rwanda, on five points, earn a minimum of two points in their own final two. Even Libya, with only one point, can still leapfrog Benin if they beat Rwanda in Kigali, the Cheetahs are bumped by the Eagles, and the Knights rout the Cheetahs in North Africa on Monday.
Super Eagles defender and 2023 AFCON MVP, William Troost-Ekong, who missed the 2-1 defeat in June, said the Super Eagles are going above the bare minimum.
“The stadium is familiar territory,” Troost-Ekong said. “We’ve had good results here before, but we’re focused on avenging our last loss to Benin and securing the win.”
Rohr is probably aware of Nigeria’s recovery since the defeat in June, and he is wary of the Eagles’ threat.
“Repeating the feat of June is going to be complicated because Nigeria is now at full strength, but we believe in ourselves.
“While we would have preferred to have Cedric and Olivier with us, we are prepared to move forward without them,” the German gaffer told Foot Africa in an interview.
Unlike Rohr, coach Austin Eguavoen has the full complement of his squad to select from and qualify with a game to spare.
The gaffer is most likely to start with the team that squared up against the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in Uyo last month, meaning Captain William Ekong and Calvin Bassey at centre-back, with wing-backs Olaoluwa Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi just as Bright Osayi-Samuel has returned into that backline.
Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, and a couple of defensive midfielders, Frank Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika, are available for the spaces in the middle, while Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, Victor Boniface, Samuel Chukwueze, Sadiq Umar, and Kelechi Iheanacho are in the selection pool for the fore.
The match will start at 8:00 pm Nigerian time.