Former Super Eagles coach and current Benin Republic manager, Gernot Rohr, says he remains confident of guiding the Cheetahs to the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite the ongoing three-point deduction controversy in Group C.
Benin boosted their qualification chances on Tuesday night with a dominant 4-0 victory over Lesotho, moving them within three points of group leaders South Africa with two matches left.
The Cheetahs got off to a flying start as Steve Mounié opened the scoring in the sixth minute before turning provider for Andreas Hountondji’s strike in the 23rd minute. Hassane Imourane added a third just after the half-hour mark, while Junior Olaitan rounded off the scoring in the 67th minute.
The emphatic win came shortly after South Africa’s 1-1 draw with Nigeria, which left the group finely poised heading into the final qualifying window in October.
Rohr, however, insisted that the group standings could change drastically if FIFA and CAF rule on South Africa’s controversial use of midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who was fielded against Lesotho in March despite having accumulated two yellow cards.
“We still have a chance to qualify,” Rohr said. “But South Africa still have those three points from the Lesotho game. This is really a scandal and no one is talking about it. If everything goes well and the rules are applied, we’ll be level on points with them. It’s unbelievable.”
As it stands, South Africa lead Group C with 17 points, followed by Benin on 14 and Nigeria on 11. The Super Eagles are still mathematically in contention, but their hopes could be dashed if results go against them in the final round.
