AFCON 2025 Qualifiers: Rohr Boasts, Says Benin Republic Will Upset Super Eagles Again, As Nigeria Draws Libya, Rwanda

By Akinwale Kasali

Gernot Rohr, Head Coach of the Squirrels of Benin Republic, has stated his team’s preparedness to upset the Super Eagles of Nigeria again, after securing a historic 2-1 victory against the Nigerian National side in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Rohr was in the saddle for over Five Years as the Coach of the Super Eagles before his sacking by the Nigerian Football Federation,  NFF, in 2021.

When the Confederation of African Football,  CAF, held the AFCON 2025 Qualification series draw over the weekend, the three-time African Cup of Nations,  AFCON, winner, was pitched  against West African neighbour, Benin Republic, the Amavubis of Rwanda and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya.

Though the Super Eagles, Benin Republic and Rwanda are in the same qualifying Group for the 2026 World Cup,  many are of the opinion that this is an opportunity for the Super Eagles to avenge its defeat by the Beninoise, and also prove its mettle as a force to be reckoned with in modern day Football.

At the moment, the Super Eagles do not have a Coach,  but the Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF had promised to get a new handler for the team, as it is presently shopping for a new gaffer.

The six-match qualifying series have been spread over the FIFA windows in September, October and November, with two matches in each seven-day window.

GROUP A: Tunisia, Madagascar, Comoros, The Gambia

GROUP B: Morocco, Gabon, Central African Republic, Lesotho

GROUP C: Egypt, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Botswana

GROUP D: Nigeria, Benin Republic, Libya, Rwanda

GROUP E: Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Liberia

GROUP F: Ghana, Angola, Sudan, Niger Republic

GROUP G: Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Chad

GROUP H: DR Congo, Guinea, Tanzania, Ethiopia

GROUP I: Mali, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Eswatini

GROUP J: Cameroon, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe

GROUP K: South Africa, Uganda, Congo, South Sudan

GROUP L: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Burundi.