Benin Republic coach Gernot Rohr says his team are confident of getting all three points against Nigeria in their final 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Uyo on Tuesday, but admits they must stay compact to contain the Super Eagles’ attacking threat, Afrosport reports.
Benin sit top of Group C with 17 points, ahead of South Africa (15) and Nigeria (14). A win will seal a first-ever World Cup ticket for the Cheetahs, while a draw could also be enough should Bafana Bafana fail to beat Rwanda.
For Nigeria, only a commanding victory over — and a favourable result in Mbombela — will keep their hopes alive.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Rohr said his players are ready to finish the job after surpassing expectations in the qualifiers.
“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 former Super Eagles boss also revealed that Benin’s game plan will rely on balance and discipline.
“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.”
A win would see Benin make history as World Cup debutants, joining Cape Verde, who qualified on Monday. For Nigeria, anything less than a win could mean missing consecutive World Cups for the first time in over two decades.
