Gernot Rohr Reacts After Benin Dropped Points to Help Nigeria in World Cup Qualifier
- Benin Republic surrendered a two-goal lead to drop two points against Zimbabwe in the World Cup qualifier
- The result boosted the Super Eagles of Nigeria’s chances before their match against Rwanda in Kigali
- Benin's head coach Gernot Rohr has shared his thoughts after the disappointing result for his team
Gernot Rohr has offered his reaction after his Benin Republic side surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against Zimbabwe, a result that favoured Nigeria.
Benin raced to a two-goal lead with goals from Steve Mounie in the 12th minute and Dokou Dodo in the 35th minute and the Cheetahs appeared to be cruising on.
Source: AFP
However, the Warriors of Zimbabwe proved their name by fighting back, equalising in the 44th minute through Marshall Munetsi before Knowledge Musona, who came out of retirement scored the second goal in the second half.
Rohr reacts after Zimbabwe draw
Head coach Gernot Rohr could not hide his disappointment during the post-match conference but is optimistic that his side has the quality to bounce back.
“It was a very intense match, with lots of duels. We got off to a good start, scoring two goals. We were in a good position. Unfortunately, Mouminii's injury somewhat destabilised our defence,” he said as quoted by Benin Football.
“This goal conceded before half-time gave confidence to the opponent, who has a top-level midfield, with players playing in England.
“Of course, there are regrets. When you're leading 2-0, you should be able to manage the game better. We didn't do that. The goal we conceded just before halftime gave our opponent a boost, a very tough opponent.
The former Super Eagles manager claimed the result was good for his team and believes they are a win away from flying again in the group.
“It's a good draw because we faced a quality team, supported by a very loud crowd. It was a real away game. This team has many qualities and will win matches in these qualifying rounds,” he said.
“This result keeps our chances alive, if we win next Tuesday, we will overtake South Africa. Everything is in our hands. We must always keep in mind this dream of going to the World Cup.”
The result favours Nigeria, his former side, who have three points and need to win their games while the three teams with seven points in the group do not have good results.
Source: AFP
After Benin Republic’s draw, Nigeria need to beat Rwanda tomorrow and hope that South Africa play a draw against Lesotho, to move them to within two points of the table top.
The Super Eagles will face Zimbabwe next week at their home ground at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, the team they drew in their first encounter.
Nigerians drag Finidi George
Legit.ng reported that Nigerians dragged Finidi George on social media after Benin Republic dropped points against Zimbabwe, which boosted their chances.
Nigerians believe that they shouldn't have needed to rely on the results of the other teams if the Super Eagles legend had not picked up one point out of a possible six in June 2024.
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Source: Legit.ng
