Benin Republic coach Gernot Rohr says his players are fully prepared and confident to stop Victor Osimhen and beat Nigeria’s Super Eagles in today’s decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Uyo, Soccernet.ng reports.
Gernot Rohr, who managed Nigeria between 2016 and 2021, believes his side have the right balance and spirit to complete their fairytale qualification campaign.
Benin currently top Group C with 17 points, ahead of South Africa (15) and Nigeria (14).
A win in Uyo will guarantee Gernot Rohr’s men their first-ever World Cup qualification, while even a draw could be enough if South Africa fail to beat Rwanda in Mbombela. For the Super Eagles, only victory, ideally by at least two goals, will keep faint hopes of qualification alive.
“We are happy to be in Nigeria and to be leading the group. Nobody believed we would be in this position at the start of the qualifiers,” Rohr told reporters at the pre-match conference on Monday.
“We can do it, we can beat Nigeria. We’re the only team among the top three whose destiny is in our own hands. It will be a surprise to win in Nigeria, but we’ve done it before when we won in Abidjan, and we’ll try to do it again.”
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Gernot Rohr’s tactical plan: compact shape, quick breaks
The Franco-German tactician, known for his meticulous defensive setups, stressed the need for discipline and tactical awareness against Nigeria’s explosive attack.
“We want to control the game if possible and play on the counter because we have quick players and good headers of the ball,” Rohr explained.
“We’ll use diagonal passes, long balls, and exploit our speed in attack. But to win, we must defend well — Nigeria have strong strikers, especially Victor Osimhen, and we have to stay compact.”
Rohr’s game plan hinges on soaking pressure and exploiting spaces behind Nigeria’s advancing full-backs; a formula that worked in Benin’s famous away win in Abidjan earlier in the campaign.
Permutations and pressure for Nigeria
This evening’s clash at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium is one of the most consequential fixtures in Nigeria’s football history. Kick-off is 5 p.m. local time, with the nation holding its breath.
The Super Eagles have struggled through the qualifiers, with just three wins from nine matches.
They sit third in Group C with 14 points, one adrift of South Africa and three behind Benin. A two-goal victory would lift Nigeria above Benin on goal difference, but qualification still depends on the outcome in Mbombela.
If South Africa fail to win, Nigeria could top the group outright. However, should South Africa triumph, Nigeria’s only hope would be sneaking into the playoff round reserved for the four best second-placed teams across all African groups.
Under FIFA’s new rules, each second-placed team’s results against the bottom side are deducted.
For Nigeria, that means losing two points from their total after drawing both legs against Zimbabwe. A win tonight would push their adjusted tally to 15 points; possibly enough for a playoff berth, depending on results elsewhere.
But there’s little room for error. Rivals DR Congo (13 points) and Uganda (12 points) could complicate matters with wins in their own final fixtures against Sudan and Algeria respectively.
