Benin lose key defenders to injury

Cheetahs of Benin Republic will be without two key defenders when they face the Super Eagles in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group D fixture at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast later on Thursday.

Burnley defender Cedric Hountondji is the latest casualty and has been first ruled out of the decisive encounter, which will also be missed by Olivier Verdon, a central defender for Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgrad.

Benin coach Gernot Rohr has already admitted they will miss Hountondji and, as a result, will be forced to play a flat-back four to contain the razor-sharp Nigeria attack featuring Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, Victor Osimhen, and Victor Boniface.

In the absence of the reliable duo, big central defender Mohamed Tijani will now partner Yohan Roche in the heart of the back four, while the likes of Rachid Moumini and David Kiki will battle for the fullback positions.

The development will no doubt compound the worries of Rohr, who is already apprehensive about the Nigerian frontline, which is unarguably the hottest on the continent and one of the most potent in the world.

The Franco-German recently singled out Lookman for praise, describing the Atalanta star as the best and favourite for the African Player of the Year award.

“For me, Lookman is the best one in Africa to win the golden award for the footballer of the year; he is a fantastic player,” he said per Nations Sports.

Osimhen, Lookman, and Boniface have 32 goals combined, scoring eight each for their various European clubs. The presence of Moses Simon, who can run any defence ragged on a good day, also gives the Beninoise cause for worry.

Nigeria top Group D with 10 points, while Benin are second with six points. A win for the former secures them a spot at the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco, rendering the results of the last match against Rwanda at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo irrelevant, while a win for the latter will see them bridge the gap heading into Monday’s trip to Libya for their last match at 11 June Stadium in Tripoli.