“We were qualified for around fifteen minutes”, Gernot Rohr after Mozambique-Benin

At a press conference this Saturday in Maputo, Gernot Rohr reacted to the non-qualification of Benin for CAN 2023, beaten by Mozambique. And the Cheépards coach believes that his team did not deserve the result of the meeting.

Absent during the previous edition in Cameroon, Benin will not play in the final phase of CAN 2023 either. The Cheetahs failed to take part in this continental mass after their defeat this Saturday against Mozambique. Against the Mambas in a match counting for the sixth day of the qualifiers, the Beninese lost with a score of 3-2. A big disappointment for the visitors who nevertheless had the match in the right direction.

In the mixed zone after the match, coach Gernot Rohr did not hide his disappointment. “ It was a full match. We were qualified for around fifteen minutes, leading 1 goal to 0. The game plan was well respected. We did exactly what we wanted to do in the first half hour, which was to put them in difficulty and score a goal. Where it stuck was having then conceded these 2 goals while we had the advantage of the wind. We lacked rigor“, declared the Franco-German technician in comments relayed by Roméo AKLOZO.

“ At half-time, we said to ourselves that it was not lost. At the restart, we equalized and we still had 3-2 points for us. Unfortunately, we lacked efficiency. Afterwards, we took all the risks and the 3rd Mozambican goal is anecdotal (….) Mozambique is a good team and we congratulate them. We played on an equal footing and we needed little, that is to say a little more defensive rigor to win this match.” , he added.

Despite this bitter elimination, Gernot Rohr retains something positive in this Cheetah campaign: the successful integration of the young shoots from the den. A sign that the future is promising according to the former Super Eagles coach. “ We continue to trust young people. He had a new one (Andréas Hountondji) who started on the left side. He fought well. We didn’t have Tosin Aiyegun. It’s a regret. Maybe with him we would have been even more efficient“, he continues.

“It turns out that the young people have not been unworthy. Dodo Dokou, Andréas Hountondji, Rachid Moumini, David Tchetchao, Prince Ricardo Dossou… In defense, there is the young Ouorou Tamimou who made a good impression on me during training, he goes fast and he has a future. We can count on young people. It’s good for the future”he concluded.

“The objective of the Federation and the ministry is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup”

With the end of the CAN adventure, it is now time for the 2026 World Cup, with the qualifying phases starting next November. Housed in Group C with South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe, the Cheetahs are aiming to qualify for the final phase for the first time in their history. A priority for coach Gernot Rohr.

“(….) The objective of the Federation and the ministry is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. This is also our ambition.had entrusted the Franco-German technician to journalists during his first press conference as coach of the Cheetahs.