Benin Camp Bubbles with 18 Players Ahead Clash with Nigeria

Benin Republic’s Cheetahs are putting everything into their preparations to face Nigeria’s Super Eagles to possibly seal their qualification for the AFCON 2025.

As at yesterday, the Cheetahs under the watch of former Super Eagles Head Coach, Gernot Rohr, had 18 players in camp for their first training in Abidjan ahead of Thursday’s clash with Nigeria.

The Beninoise are banking on thunder striking twice inside the Stade Felix-Houphouet-Boigny where they defeated Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier early this year.

Amongst the players in camp is Remo Stars’ Number 1  goalkeeper, Adebiyi Serge Obassa. He left their Ikenne-base club house for the Lagos Airport en-route Abidjan  same day as his coach Daniel Ogunmodede, who is one of the assistants to Eguavoen.

Obassa was invited by Rohr to feature for Benin Republic in Thursday’s AFCON 2025 qualifier against Nigeria.

He could therefore feature against Super Eagles  on Thursday in Abidjan.

Meanwhile 10  players were in Cheetah’s camp as at Sunday while another eight players led by Captain Steve Mounie, Jodel Dossou and David Kiki arrived on Monday. Mounie scored the winning goal against Super Eagles in that World Cup qualifier.

The remaining seven players are expected in camp today.

Benin are second in the Group D on six points, but they cannot afford to slip because they are being chased by third-placed Rwanda, who have five points and will welcome already eliminated Libya on Thursday.

In June, the Cheetahs recorded a famous 2-1 win in Abidjan against the star-studded Super Eagles in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.

They have won their two home games in the AFCON qualifiers against Libya and Rwanda in Abidjan.