Benin head coach, Gernot Rohr has warned that Zimbabwe will fight aggressively when they face Nigeria in Tuesday’s 2026 World Cup qualifier in Uyo.
Zimbabwe showed resilience in their last match, coming from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw against Benin.
First-half strikes from Steve Mounié and Dokou Dodo had put Benin in control, but Marshall Munetsi and Knowledge Musona responded for Zimbabwe to snatch a point.
Reflecting on the game, Rohr admitted that Benin dominated the first half but allowed Zimbabwe to claw their way back after the break.
The German emphasized that despite their slim chances of qualifying for the World Cup, Zimbabwe will not hold back against Nigeria.
“We knew that it was the last chance for Zimbabwe to qualify for the World Cup. Now, with three points it is finished.
But they are fighting very well and I know with this coach and his staff, they will do the same in Uyo and the same against Rwanda and Lesotho.”
Rohr also spoke about the difficulty of playing home matches in Abidjan, where the supposed home advantage is often absent.
He pointed out how Nigerian fans dominated the stands when Benin played Nigeria in their previous 1-1 draw at the venue.
“We never lost in Abidjan, but when you see the last game against Nigeria where we played a 1-1 draw, there were more people from Nigeria than Benin in the stadium.
“Behind each goal, people were shouting ‘Osimhen, Osimhen, Osimhen’ — it was like playing an away game for us. We were not really at home.”
Despite this, the former Super Eagles coach expressed confidence in his team’s ability to handle such challenges, stating:
“My team can manage the situation, and I hope next Tuesday will be the same.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria will face Benin in October for the second leg of their qualifiers, looking for revenge after suffering a shock 1-0 defeat in the first leg.
In Group C, Benin currently sit second with eight points, while Nigeria are fourth with six points.
