Head coach of the Benin Republic men's national team Gernot Rohr has confessed that the Cheetahs are wary of the Super Eagles ahead of their clash on Saturday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria will trade tackles with the Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on matchday one of the qualifying campaign for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles will be favourites to beat the Cheetahs at home despite working under a hastily put-together coaching arrangement led by interim handler Augustine Eguavoen.
Benin will be full of confidence, though, after recording an impressive 2-1 victory over the Super Eagles in June during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
However, Benin boss Rohr has refused to be swayed by that Cheetahs' victory, insisting that the Super Eagles remain a difficult opponent to beat especially on Nigerian soil.
Rohr, who is an expert on Nigerian football after managing the Super Eagles for over five years, maintains that Nigeria have been made stronger by the presence of three players who missed the June clash.
Captain William Troost-Emong, Ola Aina, and new Galatasaray signing Victor Osimhen were not in the Super Eagles squad that lost to the Cheetahs.
Rohr insists that the presence of these stars makes a Benin win near-impossible but the German gaffer is optimistic that the Cheetahs can surprise.
“Nigeria is not a conquered territory, far from it. We beat Nigeria three months ago, they will certainly have a spirit of revenge which can be important and that's normal,” Rohr said, as per Football Benin.
“They didn't have some players who are there now: Ekong, the captain, Osimhen who will be there this time, he wasn't there last time, and behind them they also have contributions, Ola Aina is there. It will be a stronger team than the one we beat in June in Abidjan.
“We are wary. In addition, at home, they have the obligation to get a result now after a series of draws or even defeats. There was another change of coach, that's it, so we will prepare well. It's not because we know the opponents that it will be easy to beat them. It will be a difficult match, but we are preparing well.”
The Super Eagles are determined to start their AFCON 2025 qualifiers with a strong performance, aiming to bounce back from a recent dip in form that has seen them win just once in their last five matches.
Since losing the 2023 AFCON final to Ivory Coast, the Super Eagles have struggled to regain their winning momentum.
They have suffered defeats to Mali and Benin, drawn against South Africa, and managed only a single win against Ghana.
Saturday's match against Benin Republic presents an opportunity for the team to turn things around and build confidence as they embark on their quest for a place in the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco.
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