Ten players from the Cheetahs of Benin Republic have arrived in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to join up with the squad for their crucial Group D Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifying clash against Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
Joueurs Beninois, a well-known football outlet, shared the development on its X handle.
The 10 players are part of a 26-man list revealed by Benin’s head coach, Gernot Rohr, in preparation for their upcoming matches against Nigeria and Libya.
Benin Republic, currently sitting in second place in Group D with six points after four games, trail Nigeria by four points.
The team is determined to secure a spot in next year’s AFCON, set to be hosted in Morocco, by making the most of their remaining matches.
The Cheetahs will be looking to build on their recent success in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where they secured a notable result against Nigeria, the three-time AFCON champions.
When these two sides met last June, Benin Republic managed to turn the game around from a goal down, clinching a 2-1 victory over the Super Eagles in a hard-fought matchday 4 encounter.
However, Nigeria responded with a resounding 3-0 victory on home soil in Uyo during matchday 1 of the AFCON qualifiers, with Ademola Lookman scoring twice and Victor Osimhen also finding the net.
With two teams progressing from each group to AFCON 2025, Benin’s position in the standings keeps them in contention, but a positive outcome in Abidjan could be pivotal to their qualification hopes as they look forward to a spirited contest with the Super Eagles.
