Super Eagles caretaker coach, Austin Eguavoen, has acknowledged that Benin Republic will be a tough opponent, thanks to the tactical insight of their head coach, Gernot Rohr, ahead of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Thursday (today) at the Stade Félix-Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Eguavoen said Rohr’s deep knowledge of Nigerian football would make the Cheetahs a formidable challenge in their matchday five encounter.
The Super Eagles need at least a draw to secure qualification for next year’s AFCON, while Benin Republic is under pressure to win in order to stay ahead of their closest rivals, Rwanda, who will be hosting Libya.
Speaking before the game, Eguavoen said, “Gernot Rohr has been with us for so many years—he was our head coach, and he’s a very good coach, no doubt.
“He knows us inside out, and he’s part of us. And we also know him well. We know what he’s capable of.”
He added, “Our mindset going into every game is to win. But that’s easier said than done. We fight for every goal, we fight for every point, and that’s exactly what we plan to do tomorrow (today).”
On Benin’s strength, Eguavoen noted, “Benin is not a pushover, but we will work hard to ensure we achieve our objective.”
The Eagles lead Group D with 10 points from four matches, scoring seven goals and conceding none.
