Benin head coach Gernot Rohr admits they were given a tough draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers which sees him come up against former employers Nigeria.
The Cheetahs will contest Group C alongside the Super Eagles, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho, with the winner going on to qualify for the global showpiece in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Rohr guided Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and is the longest-serving manager in their history, having held the reins from August 2016 to December 2021.
The German tactician views the West African giants as favourites in the group, but hopes Benin will have an important part to play in the qualifying campaign.
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“Benin fell into an extremely tough group, with obviously Nigeria as the favorite, a team we know quite well. But also the others, that is to say South Africa, already qualified for the next AFCON very early with a new state of mind,” Rohr was quoted as saying by 24HauBenin.
“Of course, there is also Zimbabwe, which has a very strong physical team, and Rwanda, which we know quite well. And then there is also Lesotho, a country we are familiar with because Benin has played against them.
“It will be goals against South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho, which are geographically very close. As well as Nigeria and Benin, who are also neighbours. It’s really a group of people who know each other, making it an extremely technical and physical challenge.
“We hope that Benin can play a good role in this Group C, which is a very difficult and challenging group, but also very interesting.
“Personally, I will have reunions with players in the Super Eagles squad. We will be keen to give our maximum effort against this great footballing country.”