AFCON
Beninese journalist gives tips on how Cheetahs can bring down Super Eagles
Benin Republic and Nigeria are meeting for the third time this year and all within a space of five months.
This Thursday night match is the penultimate qualifying match for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. While Nigeria’s Super Eagles are relatively in a comfortable situation in the qualifying series, it is a cliffhanger for the Cheetahs of Benin.
They cannot afford to drop points as both Rwanda and Libya are in hot pursuit.
Christian Hounongbe, a Beninese journalist at La Nation, has analysed the path that the Cheetahs have to navigate to circumvent the Super Eagles’ hurdles.
Here are the points of interest that he enunciated. To him, the key for Benin to the match is “maintaining mental and physical stability in the face of the Nigerian assaults, while correcting past mistakes.”
According to him, in the first leg match played in Uyo last September, and the one against Rwanda in Kigali, the Cheetahs’ lack of resilience was felt, especially after each goal conceded.
Hounongbe added that those goals led to loss of morale and concentration that allowed their opponents to take the upper hand.
“Against a Nigeria team brimming with talent, the Beninese will have to demonstrate mental discipline at all times, even in the event of a hard blow.
“This time, there is no question of letting themselves be destabilized. The Cheetahs must show constant fighting spirit and concentration to stand up to the Super Eagles.”
Continuing, the journalist wrote: “Also, the tendency to withdraw must not be the order of the day in this return match. This attitude, observed after the opening goal against Rwanda, allowed the Amavubi to get back into the match.
“Against Nigeria in the first leg, an overly defensive approach left the field open to the Super Eagles, who finished with 57% possession compared to 43% for Benin.
“For this return match, it will be important for the Cheetahs to maintain a certain offensive presence, even in the event of a goal.
“The objective: not to allow Nigeria to impose its pace of play. Rather than giving in to the pressure of the opponent, the Beninese will have to build and maintain the pressure to avoid finding themselves locked in their half of the field.
Hounongbe took a retrospective view of Benin’s last match in October and pointed out that “against Rwanda, marking errors and spaces left allowed the Amavubi to multiply opportunities in the second half, putting the Beninese defense in difficulty.
“The same observation was made in the first leg against Nigeria where the Beninese defence had already conceded five shots on target.
“Against a team like Nigeria, which had attempted 13 shots in total during the first leg, the organization and defensive rigour will have to be flawless this Thursday in Abidjan.”
Hounongbe called on defenders like Rachid Mimouni, Olivier Verdon or Mohamed Tidjani to tighten the lines to minimize the positioning errors that had cost dearly in the past.
“Benin will also have to win the midfield battle. Because the loss of midfield duels was one of Benin’s weaknesses against Rwanda and Nigeria.
“In the first leg against the Super Eagles, Nigeria made 475 passes against 373 for Benin, with an accuracy of 84% against 79%.
“This dominance allowed them to impose themselves in this sector and put the Beninese under constant pressure.
“Against Rwanda, the Cheetahs also struggled, displaying only 34% possession. The key for the Cheetahs will be their ability to keep the ball in midfield and create openings.
“Better organization in midfield, avoiding losing duels and anticipating restarts, will be necessary to avoid repeating the scenario of previous matches.”
Ticket sales for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 will officially open on Monday, 13 October 2025, with an exclusive 48-hour pre-sale window reserved for Visa cardholders, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced.
Fans across Africa and around the world will be able to secure their seats for what promises to be the continent’s biggest football spectacle, which will run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
The special Visa pre-sale period will run from Monday, 13 October at 09:00 Moroccan time (08:00 GMT) until Wednesday, 15 October at 08:00 GMT, before general ticket sales open to all fans using other payment methods.
To streamline ticket purchases and enhance security, the Local Organizing Committee has launched the YALLA App, an integrated digital platform for fans to obtain their Fan ID — a mandatory requirement for buying tickets — and apply for E-Visas (AEVM) where necessary.
According to organizers, each registered Fan ID allows supporters to buy only one ticket per match, ensuring wider access and transparency in ticket distribution.
The process for obtaining tickets is straightforward:
- Download the YALLA App, available on Google Play and the App Store.
- Apply for a Fan ID and E-Visa (if required) through the app.
- Once approved, Visa cardholders can visit tickets.cafonline.com starting from Monday, 13 October at 09:00 Moroccan time (08:00 GMT) to purchase their AFCON 2025 tickets.
The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco is expected to deliver a festival of football and culture, with fans urged to complete their Fan ID registration early to avoid last-minute rushes.
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Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Coach Augustine Eguavoen, has strongly condemned media reports suggesting that he is being considered to take over as Super Eagles Head Coach ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) should current handler Eric Chelle fail to secure qualification for next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Speaking on Wednesday, the former Super Eagles captain described the reports as false, misleading, and damaging, insisting that he maintains a cordial and professional relationship with Coach Chelle.
“I feel very hurt by these baseless rumours because I really have no idea where they are coming from,” Eguavoen said. “I have a very good working relationship with Coach Eric Chelle, and I have absolutely no interest in taking over the squad. I am praying for him to succeed.”
Eguavoen, who has previously served as interim head coach of the national team, expressed frustration that such speculation was resurfacing, warning that it could undermine team unity ahead of major assignments.
“This was how the same speculators created schism and disaffection between myself and Gernot Rohr, and later José Peseiro, when they coached the Super Eagles at different periods,” he recalled. “It is uncalled-for. We all need to work together to see the Super Eagles qualify for the World Cup and win the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.”
The NFF Technical Director reiterated his commitment to supporting the technical crew and fostering a collaborative atmosphere that will enable Nigeria’s senior team to achieve its set goals.
“Our collective focus should be on progress, not distractions,” he added. “Everyone in the system is working towards one goal — success for Nigeria.”
The Super Eagles are currently deep in preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, while their FIFA World Cup qualification campaign resumes later this year.
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AFCON
Nigerians, other nationals can apply, as CAF and Morocco Launch Volunteer Programme for AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Morocco have launched the official Volunteer Programme for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, billed to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
According to CAF, more than 4,000 volunteers will be recruited to play a central role in ensuring the success of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, which will be staged across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco.
Applications are now open at volunteers.cafonline.com and will close on 8 October 2025. The opportunity is open to anyone above the age of 18.
Volunteers will be deployed across multiple functional areas, including media operations, spectator services, accreditation, hospitality, and fan engagement. Selected individuals will receive professional training ahead of the competition and work behind the scenes to deliver a memorable AFCON.
CAF stated that the programme is designed not only to support tournament operations but also to create an alumni network of skilled Africans who can contribute to future sporting events across the continent. Successful applicants will benefit from:
- Training and skill development.
- Official uniforms and certificates of participation.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals.
- The chance to contribute to Africa’s football legacy.
Volunteer registration opened on 17 September 2025. Selection and training will take place in October and November, with operations commencing in mid-December through to the tournament’s conclusion on 18 January 2026.
CAF described the initiative as an “exciting opportunity” for Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s flagship sporting event, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to Morocco.
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