Gernot Rohr Warns Benin Players After Rising To Top Of Super Eagles’ World Cup Qualifying Group

Benin Republic coach Gernot Rohr has cautioned his players to remain focused despite climbing to the summit of Group C in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers.

Naija News reports that the Cheetahs moved into first place after FIFA deducted three points from South Africa for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their clash against Lesotho.

The sanction threw the group wide open, leaving Benin and Bafana Bafana level on 14 points, just three ahead of Nigeria’s Super Eagles with two matches left to play.

Rohr, who previously managed the Super Eagles, revealed he immediately reached out to his squad to keep their minds on the task ahead.

“We want to do the best we can,” Rohr told Société de radio et de télévision du Bénin. “But for those who think we’re already at the World Cup because we happen to be first, we shouldn’t get too excited; it’s pointless. I wrote this to my players. I told some of them on the phone. But we have to do everything we can to live up to the first place we’ve been given.”

Benin’s next two fixtures could prove decisive. They will face Rwanda before a high-stakes clash against Nigeria on October 14, a match that could determine who advances from the group.