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Benin Republic head coach Gernot Rohr has acknowledged the gap in quality between his players and the Super Eagles after their 3-0 defeat to Nigeria in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers in Uyo on Saturday, September 8.
The 2025 AFCON qualification match saw Ademola Lookman, a nominee for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, scoring two goals, with reigning African Player of The Year, Victor Osimhen adding another for Nigeria.
Gernot Rohr, who had previously praised his team’s victory against Nigeria during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June, concluded that the class disparity was evident in the recent encounter.
Reflecting on the match, Rohr emphasized the difference in resources, pointing out that Nigerian players are high-level professionals with significant playing time at their respective clubs, while some of Benin Republic’s players have limited club exposure.
Following Nigeria’s loss to Benin Republic in June, the 3-0 victory served as a form of redemption for the Super Eagles. Rohr noted the motivation that came with avenging their previous defeat and highlighted the presence of key players like William Troost-Ekong and Osimhen.
“What didn’t work is that we don’t have the same means as this Nigerian team. When you look at the Nigerian squad, they are all very high-level players who play for their clubs. And unfortunately, we have players who don’t play much for their clubs. So, you can’t compare the two squads,” Gernot Rohr said via Canal +.
“We managed to beat them at home. That gave them extra motivation to take their revenge, which is normal.
“And we saw that at home, in addition, with the stars present today, who weren’t there last time in Abidjan, the captain Ekong, also Osimhen. You see that there are means in this team that we don’t have. So, we have to stay in our place. But we want to finish at least in second place in this group. If you have conceded three goals and something has not worked within the defense.”
Despite the setback, Gernot Rohr remained resolute about the Benin Republic’s aspirations, expressing determination to secure a spot in next year’s AFCON tournament in Morocco.
He acknowledged the significance of this goal, particularly in light of the team’s absence from the previous two editions.
“Of course, we want to go to the CAN”, Rohr said. “Benin missed two editions before my arrival. Now, we have to go. This time, it is very important. We all want to go to Morocco, and it is not because we lost in Nigeria that it calls into question our objective.”
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