CAN 2025 (Q): Rwanda coach disappointed after defeat against Benin

The coach of the Rwanda national team, Torsten Spittler, did not hide his disappointment after the heavy 3-0 defeat against Benin on Friday, on the third day of the CAN 2025 qualifiers.

In a post-match press conference, Torsten Spittler expressed his frustration by emphasizing that his players did not respect the strategy he had taught them, particularly when faced with the long balls sent towards Steve Mounié.

From the fifth minute of play, the Beninese striker opened the scoring, marking a decisive turning point in the match. Spittler revealed that he spent time in training sessions preparing his team to defend against those through balls. However, this plan did not work on the ground.

“ We prepared the defense well against these long balls intended for their number 9 (Steve Mounié), because he is the one who receives the majority of these balls. I asked my players not to concede corners, but sometimes it is difficult to avoid it. Sometimes you need a little luck, and today we didn’t have it“, lamented the German technician.

Despite the tactical preparation, the Rwandan team failed to contain the Beninese offensive power, and Mounié was omnipresent throughout the match. “ Mounié is a very good player, he is always well positioned. We knew he was a constant danger, and despite our efforts to avoid these long balls, we were already 1-0 down after just five minutes“added Spittler.

Despite the defeat, the coach recognized the superiority of the Beninese team. “ We did our best, but Benin showed a lot of quality. It just wasn’t our day“, he conceded.

Rwanda will have a chance to redeem themselves in the return match, scheduled for Tuesday, October 15 at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali. This match will mark the fourth day of qualifiers for CAN 2025, and Rwanda hopes to reverse the trend to stay in the race for qualification.