Tosin Aiyegun: “people think Benin is a small footballing nation”
Speaking to RFI, Tosin Aiyegun spoke about Benin’s chances at CAN 2025, which opens in a few days. The Lorient forward is confident and believes the Cheetahs will pleasantly surprise the sporting community during the tournament.
Called up for the first time on 24 March 2022, Tosin Aiyegun is preparing to play his first Africa Cup of Nations final tournament with the Benin national team. The Lorient forward is included in the list of 28 players selected by coach Gernot Rohr for CAN 2025 in Morocco. In the 35th edition, the Cheetahs aim to do better than at CAN 2019, where they stopped just short of the semi-finals.
In an interview with RFI, the 27-year-old centre-forward set out his ambitions for the tournament. And the former FK Ventspils player vows to give everything to have a good CAN with his teammates. “We must give everything at the CAN because people think Benin is a small football country”, he said. Drawn in a fairly tough Group D, the Beninese will notably have to face Senegal, 2021 African champions, and the DRC, a team that is steadily progressing.
Big opponents for Steve Mounié’s teammates, already missing several key players including Andréas Hountondji, ruled out because of an injury suffered at his club. Nothing to worry Tosin Aiyegun, however, who remains calm. “There is no pressure. On the contrary, it motivates us. We dreamed of playing big matches. Senegal and the DRC are at the top but anything can happen. We work and we believe in ourselves. I hope that at the CAN we will get noticed”, he added. First test on 23 December against the Congolese Leopards.
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