Benin will square off with Nigeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group D match on Thursday.
Kick-off is at 9:00 pm CAT.
The game will take place at Benin’s temporary home ground, Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in the largest city and the former capital of Ivory Coast, Abidjan.
Benin succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Rwanda away on 15 October, but before that the Cheetahs had won two matches in a row in Group D – securing wins over Libya and Rwanda in order to boost their qualification ambitions.
Therefore, Benin find themselves placed second in the group standings and a victory over Nigeria would see Gernot Rohr’s side reduce leaders, Super Eagles’ lead to one point and edge closer to qualifying for the finals.
Meanwhile, Nigeria were awarded a walkover 3-0 victory over Libya after an incident upon their arrival in Libya in October.
The Super Eagles players and staff were stranded at an airport for over 12 hours, before heading back home without playing Libya.
As a result, Nigeria, who remain undefeated in Group D, are placed at the top of the group standings and they need just a point from their match against Benin in order to qualify for the finals to be hosted by Morocco.
Benin and Nigeria have met 18 times across all competitions coming into this crucial AFCON qualifier.
The Super Eagles won 14 matches compared to the Cheetahs’ two victories and two games ended in a draw.
The last time the two teams met Nigeria claimed a 3-0 win in the 2025 AFCON qualifier played in Uyo on 7 September.
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