Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong acknowledges the challenge Benin Republic poses in the AFCON 2026 qualifiers, but remains confident in Nigeria’s victory.
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong stated that the team should anticipate a challenging match against Benin Republic’s Cheetahs.
Today, the Super Eagles will face off against their neighbors in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matchday five encounter at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
Benin Republic achieved a notable 2-1 victory against the Super Eagles during their last encounter at this venue.
Troost-Ekong is expecting yet another challenging encounter this time.
“We secured a home victory in our last match against Benin. We recognize that they are a strong team. Gernot Rohr was my coach with the national team for more than six years.”
In a pre-game press conference, Troost-Ekong stated, “As the coach mentioned, he is very familiar with the team.”
“I’ve faced Benin multiple times, and the games have always been challenging. However, I believe we’ll be well-prepared here, particularly in this stadium where we created some wonderful memories earlier this year.”
Although the Super Eagles experienced a defeat against the Cheetahs during their last encounter in Abidjan, they still hold positive memories of that venue.
During the AFCON 2025 finals, the West African team secured victories in both of their matches at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium.
Troost-Ekong is also hopeful that the Ivorians will show their support for the Super Eagles.
He mentioned that everything is in place for them. They feel at home in Abidjan, and he’s confident they can secure qualification by winning the match tomorrow (today). That’s exactly what they need to accomplish.
We understand it will be a challenging game, so it’s essential to give our all. Based on what I’ve observed in training and the positive atmosphere in the camp, we seem well-prepared for tomorrow’s match.
“The stadium instills confidence in us; we felt right at home here. The Ivorian fans are likely to support us as well because, despite the challenges we posed for them, they left feeling happy.”
We are optimistic about receiving the same level of support again and hope for ideal conditions. Our training has been going well, and we eagerly anticipate the game.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 PM Nigerian time.
