The curtains will soon be drawn on the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Benin Republic will face off in a matchday five showdown in Abidjan.
Nigeria, so close to securing a ticket to next year’s finals in Morocco, will be looking to hold on to their unbeaten record in the qualifying phase so far, while the Cheetahs are in desperate need of a win to boost their chances of clinching a ticket to the AFCON.
The two nations will be meeting for the third time in five months, with the recent head-to-head currently tied at 1-1: Benin defeated Nigeria 2-1 in Abidjan in the World Cup qualifiers in June, while the Super Eagles got their revenge with a 3-0 victory in Uyo in September.
The Super Eagles are currently ranked fourth in Africa, while Benin occupies the 21st spot, and Afrosport brings you all the key details of the crunch tie as well as information on how to watch the game live.
Where and when is the match?
The Cheetahs of Benin will host the Super Eagles in their Group D contest in the AFCON 2025 Qualifiers on Thursday, November 14, at their makeshift home at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny in Abidjan.
Historical Perspective: What do the stats say?
Like their geographical history, the Cheetahs of Benin and the Super Eagles are not strangers to each other on the football scene either, as the two West African nations have faced off on a number of occasions.
Nigeria, however, has dominated this feature over the years with 13 wins, two draws, and one defeat in their 16 previous meetings across all competitions.
The three-time African champions are on a run of five wins, two draws, and three losses in their last 10 matches in all competitions. However, they are currently unbeaten in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, and in their last four games against West African opposition, they’ve lost three and won two.
Meanwhile, the Cheetahs have only recorded one win over Nigeria, a famous 2-1 win in June. However, in their last 10 matches in all competitions, Benin have recorded four wins, two draws, and four losses.
In their recent matches against West African opposition, they recorded one win, two draws, and two losses (against Senegal and Nigeria).
Benin has managed only six goals in the history of this fixture, and Nigeria, with 40 goals, has kept 11 clean sheets, with the most common score line in this fixture being 1-0, which has occurred in four of their previous 16 previous meetings.
Players to Watch Out For
Nigeria
Victor Osimhen: Osimhen was not called up to the Super Eagles team in the October international break due to injury, and his absence was felt as the three-time African champions managed to score one goal against Libya in Uyo, thanks to a late strike from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
The 25-year-old already has eight goals and four assists in nine matches for Galatasaray this season, including scoring back-to-back braces for the Turkish side.
Osimhen, who is Nigeria’s third all-time leading scorer with 22 goals in 36 matches, has a brilliant record in the AFCON qualifiers with 16 goals and 8 assists in 13 matches, and he will be looking to continue his fine form against Benin, having scored in the reverse fixture in Uyo.
Ademola Lookman: Lookman was the star of the show the last time the two sides met in Uyo, bagging a brace for the Super Eagles in their 3-0 win.
The 26-year-old, who finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or and has been nominated for the African Player of the Year, was Nigeria’s joint top scorer at the AFCON with three goals.
Lookman has eight goals and four assists in 28 matches for the Super Eagles and will be looking to add to the brace he scored against Benin Republic on opening day. He has eight goals and five assists in 14 matches in all competitions this season in Atlanta.
Benin
Steve Mounie: The Augsburg forward is the leading marksman for the Cheetahs of Benin, and he scored the winner in their 2-1 win over Nigeria in June. However, he has assisted once and is yet to find the back of the net in eight matches in all competitions for the German team.
The 30-year-old has scored 19 goals and four assists in 54 matches for Benin since he made his debut in 2015 and has bagged two goals in four matches in the AFCON qualifying rounds.
Andreas Hountondji: The 22-year-old Burnley forward has scored two goals in 10 matches for Benin. However, the two goals have come in these AFCON qualifiers, bagging goals in back-to-back games against Rwanda in October despite only starting one of the three matches he has played in the qualifiers.
How to watch the Benin Republic vs Nigeria game
You can watch the AFCON 2025 Qualifiers matchday five encounter between Benin Republic and the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny in Abidjan LIVE on Afrosport TV, NTA, AIT, Afia TV, Wazobia Max and BON (Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria) member stations anywhere in Nigeria.
Anyone in Nigeria can also watch the match LIVE on their phone on the GO via Afrosport mobile platforms. You can stream for FREE on Afrosport TV Facebook page and via the VIDIVU online portal.
Note that the streaming options are available for viewers in Nigeria only.
