Benin Republic head coach, Gernot Rohr, has voiced his displeasure over what he described as questionable officiating during his team’s 4–0 defeat to Nigeria in Uyo earlier this month.
The loss ended Benin’s hopes of qualifying for their first-ever FIFA World Cup.
The match, played on October 14, saw Victor Osimhen net a hat-trick for the Super Eagles before Frank Onyeka sealed the win with a fourth goal. However, Rohr insisted that two of Osimhen’s goals should not have been allowed.
According to him, Osimhen’s opener—where he latched onto a through ball from Samuel Chukwueze—was offside, and he believes the decision might have been overturned if VAR had been available.
For the second goal, the Benin players protested that Osimhen had fouled his marker before heading the ball into the net, but their appeals were dismissed by the referee.
“Our only regrets concern the first two goals conceded in Nigeria in the decisive match. These situations deserved a different decision and would have given us more justice,” Rohr told CAFonline.
The former Super Eagles manager added,
“We finished the qualifiers with 17 points, the same as Nigeria, which is already a huge confidence boost. We were the only team to beat Nigeria in Abidjan, while they remained unbeaten in all their other matches.”
Despite finishing level on points with Benin, Nigeria ranked higher due to a superior weighted points system following Eritrea’s withdrawal.
The Super Eagles will now face Gabon in Morocco on November 13 in a crucial playoff semifinal. The winner will advance to face either Cameroon or DR Congo for a place in the intercontinental playoffs, where Africa’s final two tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be decided.
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