… as Nigeria battle Benin Republic today
Super Eagles defender and 2023 AFCON MVP, William Troost-Ekong, who missed the match at their 2-1 defeat in June, said the Super Eagles are going above the bare minimum.
Troost-Ekong has expressed confidence in the team to bounce back from their last defeat in the hands of the Cheetahs to win.
“The stadium is a familiar territory.
“We’ve had good results here before, but we’re focused on avenging our last loss to Benin and securing the win,” Troost-Ekong said.
German coach Gernot Rohr has also expressed believe in his team despite missing key players like Cedric and Oliver.
He said in an interview with Foot Africa, “Repeating the feat of June is going to be complicated because Nigeria is now at full strength, but we believe in ourselves.
“While we would have preferred to have Cedric and Olivier with us, we are prepared to move forward without them.”
For the third time in six months, Nigeria and the Benin Republic will be looking to slug it out today in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, as they seek to seal their automatic spots for the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
The Eagles currently top the qualifying Group D with 10 points and have been almost perfect, winning three out of four matches without conceding a goal. They will qualify for the 35th AFCON final tournament if they defeat the Cheetahs of Benin Republic today.
Ultimately, a draw is the minimum needed for Nigeria to advance, and the Super Eagles will also be playing to avoid a repeat of their 2-1 defeat to the Cheetahs at the same ground in June during the ill-fated 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The match will start at 8:00 pm Nigerian time.