The Super Eagles quest to qualify for the 2021 AFCON today in Benin will not be easy after they were forced to train without floodlights at the Charles de Gaulle Stadium in Porto-Novo.
Eagles coach Gernot Rohr joked that his team used the moonlight to train when the lights in the stadium were switched off.
The battle line has been drawn…
Match Facts
Benin vs Nigeria
Saturday, March 27, 2021
Stade Charles de Gaulle Porto-Novo
Kick-off: 5pm
Benin Likely XI (3-5-2-1) – Saturnin Allagbe – Khaled Adenon, Yohan Roche, Cedric Hountondji – David Kiki, Youssouf Assogba, Sessi d’Almeida, Jordan Adeoti, Cebiou Sekou – Michael Pote, Jodel Dossou – Steve Mounie
Nigeria Likely XI (4-2-3-1) – Maduka Okoye – Zaidu Sanusi, Ola Aina, Leon Balogun, William Ekong (Captain) – Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo – Alex Iwobi, Henry Onyekuru, Samuel Chukwueze – Victor Osimhen
What is at stake?
Qualification to the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon. A draw for Nigeria will lift the Super Eagles to the tournament proper, while a win guarantees the home team their passage. A loss by the hosts could well them having to get a result in their final qualifier in Conakry against Sierra Leone.
Head-to-Head
15 meetings, Nigeria 12 wins, Benin 1 win, 2 draws
Last Meeting
November 13, 2019, Uyo – Nigeria fight back from an early Stephane Sessegnon strike to win 2-1 thanks to goals by Victor Osimhen and Samuel Kalu.
Key Stars
Benin
Khaled Adenon – Team captain who bosses the defence even though he is at the ripe old age of 35 and playing in the third division league in France.
Stephane Sessegnon – The country’s biggest football export having played for mighty PSG as well as in the Premier League for the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Fulham and Sunderland. A goal-scoring attacking midfield powerhouse who has been without a club since August 2020, but can still conjure some magic.
Nigeria
Victor Osimhen – He is the arrowhead of the Super Eagles since the exit of Odion Ighalo and has not disappointed. He has scored four goals in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers and his commitment to the cause has never been questioned.
Samuel Chukwueze – Exciting left-footed winger who tears through defences with ease from the right flank. He also weighs in with his fair share of goals. His individual flair will be key to unlock what is expected to be very resolute Benin defence.
What They Say
Benin coach Michel Dussuyer: “To beat Nigeria, it won’t be easy because Nigeria have many top players who play in Europe, but Sierra Leone have shown us that it is not impossible.
“In the first game in Nigeria, we were disappointed they beat us (2-1).
“We know the Nigerian team better and out ambition is to beat them here at home.”
Gernot Rohr: “It won’t be easy (vs Benin), but we are confident, we have good players, some of them are doing great at their clubs, so we want the qualification which will be possible with a draw. That’s the first step for us.
“To win that game will be very, very difficult, but we should not lose the match.”
Team News
Two players of Benin tested positive for Coronavirus and they won’t be available for today’s game as well as Tuesday’s clash against Sierra Leone. Their identities have not been revealed.
Nigeria media reports have suggested that Rohr will go against his conservative approach and start two strikers, Osimhen and Kelechi Iheanacho, in this game.
In the absence of Ahmed Musa, Watford defender William Ekong will captain the Super Eagles.
This is a crunch West African derby and a lot is riding on it. The Eagles have been bullish of a win across the border, while their hosts have been working quietly, relieved that a dozen of their call-ups could finally make it for this game after the French authorities relaxed travel restrictions caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic.Benin boast of having now gone eight years without losing at home, while the Super Eagles have not exactly been great travelers. The Squirrels were not intimidated in front of a big crowd in Uyo two years ago and their confidence will be further lifted if they could get a few of their partisan fans to watch this encounter. The star-studded Super Eagles will only have themselves to blame should they underrate this team who did well to reach the last-eight of the 2019 AFCON in Egypt. Do not expect a spectacle, but total effort and commitment from both sides.
