July 16, (THEWILL) – Benin’s head coach, Gernot Rohr, has acknowledged the challenging draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which will see his team pitted against his former employers, Nigeria.
Group C, comprising South Africa, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Lesotho, promises fierce competition, with the winner earning a spot in the global showpiece in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Rohr, who previously guided Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup, views the Super Eagles as favourites in the group but remains hopeful that Benin will play a significant role in the qualifying campaign.
Rohr expressed his thoughts on the tough group: “Benin fell into an extremely tough group, with obviously Nigeria as the favourite, a team we know quite well. But also the others, that is to say, South Africa, already qualified for the next AFCON very early with a new state of mind.” He further acknowledged the physical strength of Zimbabwe, the familiarity with Rwanda, and the encounters against Lesotho in the past.
The German coach anticipates a challenging and intriguing campaign due to the close proximity of the participating nations and the familiarity among them, posing both technical and physical challenges.
Looking ahead to facing Nigeria, Rohr mentioned his reunions with players from the Super Eagles squad, stating: “We will be keen to give our maximum effort against this great footballing country.” As the longest-serving manager in Nigeria’s history, Rohr is familiar with the talent within the Super Eagles’ ranks and aims to create an exciting contest when the two neighbouring nations meet on the field.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
