3 weeks ago
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Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr will be without the service of experienced defender Cedric Hountondji when Benin Republic host Nigeria in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group D fixture on November 14 at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan, the Ivory Coast capital city, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The centre back, known for his strength and reliability, sustained an ankle injury before Benin’s last match against Rwanda in September and has yet to recover.
The 30-year-old has not appeared for his French club Angers SCO since the setback, making him a huge doubt for Benin’s next international fixtures against Nigeria and Libya.
Despite the Cheetahs’ successful outing against Rwanda in the first leg, Hountondji’s absence was notable during the reverse fixture, where they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat.
The absence of the defensive mainstay is a substantial loss for Rohr’s squad as they strive to sustain their qualifying hopes.
Currently sitting second in the group with six points, a win against Nigeria could prove crucial for Benin’s quest for one of the group’s two tickets to the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco.
Rohr has been sweating over the injury of his experienced defender, hoping that he would be available for the final round of the qualifying series.
However, the latest report on Angers’ website potentially rules him out of the all-important clash, with no time frame placed on his return date.
Hountondji was not named by Angers coach Alexandre Dujeux in the squad that faced AS Monaco for their Ligue 1 game on Friday.
With no confirmed timeline for his return, Hountondji’s injury leaves a notable gap in Benin’s backline, giving Nigeria a potential advantage in the Abidjan showdown.
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