Benin Republic national team coach, Gernot Rohr, has expressed confidence in the Cheetahs’ ability to defeat Nigeria’s Super Eagles in Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The former Nigerian coach disclosed this during the pre-match conference ahead of the final Group C clash billed for the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The Franco-German coach said, “We came for a win. We know we have to be patient, and we know also that Nigeria’s only chance is if they win too. So, it will be a very open match, I believe. We have come here to win but we know Nigeria has a chance to qualify if they win, so the game will be a very open one.”
Lamenting the South Africa national team’s easy route to qualifying after playing only two away matches out of ten, a confident Mr Rohr, whose team needs a win or draw against Nigeria to qualify, said his team has played all their matches away, “so we are used now to playing away.”
He added, “My team is ready, they made good progress, worked hard, and when you see that South Africa from the ten games played seven games at home, only two games away in Rwanda and Nigeria. Against us, it was in Ivory Coast,” the former Super Eagles coach told the press in Uyo.
“So it was a big advantage for South Africa, it’s not equal. That’s why I think we are here now and we should enjoy this game, not only to have stress and think of the result but to be happy to be here and to play a good football game, in a good spirit.”
The Super Eagles’ 2-1 victory over Lesotho on Friday kept their World Cup hopes alive, but to cement their place at the mundial holding in Canada, the USA, and Mexico next year, they need to defeat the Cheetahs by at least two goals and hope that Bafana Bafana do not win against Rwanda.
