Benin Republic head coach Gernot Rohr has named his 25-player squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Rwanda.
The squad includes 19 players based abroad and six local stars, with Rohr giving three players their first call-up to the Benin team.
18-year-old Karim Rahman, 23-year-old Romaric Amoussou, and 24-year-old Samson Akinyoola get their first senior call-ups.
Currently the bottom of Group C with 1 point, Benin faces group leaders Rwanda on June 6 at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny in Abidjan, followed by a match against Nigeria at the same venue four days later.
Gernot Rohr’s Stats with Benin Rep.
After his tenure as the manager of Nigeria’s senior national team from 2016 to 2021, Rohr was dismissed just before the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Augustine Eguavoen led the Super Eagles to AFCON 2021 as the interim coach, but Nigeria crashed out in the round of 16 to Tunisia and subsequently failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Rohr was then employed by Benin, and under his guidance, the Cheetahs have won only once, losing four and drawing five out of 10 games.
Benin Rep. vs Nigeria Head-to-Head
Nigeria has faced Benin a total of 16 times, with their first encounter occurring on February 17, 1977, in an international friendly where the Super Eagles secured a 7-0 victory.
The most recent meeting was on March 21, 2021, at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria won 1-0.
Overall, Nigeria has won 13, lost 1, and drawn 2 of these encounters.
