Benin seeking first points in Group L against Mozambique
Benin will be looking to get their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign up and running when they face Mozambique at the Stade de l’Amitie on Wednesday.
Kick-off is at 9pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)
The Squirrels opened their qualifying campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Senegal on Saturday as Sadio Mane scored a hat-trick for the defending Afcon champions in Diamniadio.
Michel Dussuyer’s side just missed out on the 2022 World Cup playoffs after being pipped to the top of their qualifying group by DR Congo, although they shrugged off that disappointment by going unbeaten in their next three games during the previous international break.
The West Africans beat Liberia 4-0 and Zambia 2-1 before playing out to a 1-1 draw with neighbours Togo in preparation for the June Afcon qualifiers.
They are expected to advance to the tournament in Ivory Coast alongside the Lions of Teranga and will need to pick up as many points as possible against the Mambas and Rwanda.
Mozambique kicked off proceedings with a 1-1 draw against the Wasps in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday when Stanley Ratifo (67′) quickly cancelled out Blaise Nishimwe’s 65th-minute opener to earn the ‘hosts’ a share of the spoils.
However, the Mambas are winless in their last four outings since recording a 1-0 victory over Malawi in November last year to end their failed World Cup qualifying campaign on a positive note.
Chiquinho Conde’s team drew 1-1 with Niger before suffering back-to-back losses against Mauritania (2-1) and Eswatini (1-0) in March.
The Southern Africans last qualified for the Afcon finals in 2010 and have never made it beyond the group stages in four appearances.
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Conde will aim to build on their point on matchday 1 and revealed that his players are determined to challenge their Group L rivals for a spot in Ivory Coast next year.
“The outlook is good. I see and feel in the face of each participant in this group that started the preparation while still in Maputo, a very great commitment on the part of the athletes, a healthy group spirit, with an immense desire to invert the paradigm,” he said.
They have faced Benin just once before and it came during the 27th edition of the African showpiece in Angola, where the Group C clash finished 2-2.