“”A historic success”, Gernot Rohr after Benin 1-0 Botswana”
Gernot Rohr reacted to the Cheetahs’ victory over Botswana’s Zebras (1-0) this Saturday in the group stage of AFCON 2025. And the Benin coach congratulated his players on this historic success.
SUMMARY
For their second outing in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, the Cheetahs dominated Botswana (1-0) at the annex stadium of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex, thus securing the very first victory of their history in the competition.
Remobilized after the narrow opening defeat to the DRC, the Benin side showed a solid and determined face. The return of several key players, suspended on the first day, brought greater balance and collective control. This rise in form was rewarded around the 30th minute, when Yohan Roche, seeking redemption, found the back of the net with a decisive finish off a lay-off from Steve Mounié.
Solid in defensive organization, diligent in effort, the Beninese then managed their lead with maturity, creating several chances to extend the lead but failing to convert them. No matter: the essential was achieved. Thanks to this victory, Benin is fully back in Group D ahead of a final meeting against Senegal on December 30, with the hope of continuing this new historic momentum.
“We may have backed off a little too much, in my view”
On Canal+ after the match, Gernot Rohr reacted to this laborious victory of his side. And the Benin national team coach praised his players for this historic success. “We are obviously very satisfied with this victory, especially against Botswana. It’s a historic win, since Benin had never won a single match in the Africa Cup of Nations in its four previous participations,” he said.
“This victory gives us a lot of hope in a group that is particularly strong, ahead of the match against Senegal, which promises to be necessarily difficult. But my team showed good things, both in terms of play and mentality. After the frustration of the match against the DRC, marked notably by a contentious situation that could have offered us a penalty, the players managed to move on. They delivered a serious and committed performance. At the end of the match, we may have backed off a little too much in my view, but the players were absolutely keen to preserve this first historic victory. We must learn to forgive them. The essential is there: relief and pride prevail, added the 72-year-old coach.
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