2026 W/Cup Qualifier: Nigeria 4-0 Benin match highlights, tactical takeouts
Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen with a towering attempted header. Photo Credit- Aljazeera
Group C Standings Impact: South Africa 3-0 Rwanda (simultaneous match), finishing 1st with 18 points (automatic qualification). Nigeria 2nd with 17 points (+4 GD from this win), Benin 3rd with 17 points (+1 GD). Nigeria advances to CAF intercontinental playoffs as one of the four best runners-up.
In a match billed as a “final” for both sides, Nigeria delivered a statement performance, dismantling Benin Republic with ruthless efficiency to salvage their 2026 World Cup campaign. Coming into the fixture, Benin sat atop Group C with 17 points, needing just a draw for historic automatic qualification, their first-ever World Cup appearance. Nigeria, languishing in third on 11 points after a frustrating qualifier, required a four-goal victory to leapfrog their neighbors on goal difference and hope for a slip-up from leaders South Africa against Rwanda. The Super Eagles not only met the margin but exceeded expectations in a dominant display, though South Africa’s parallel 3-0 win denied them direct entry. This result, however, secures Nigeria’s place in the playoffs, offering a second chance at North American glory, while shattering Benin’s dreams under former Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr.
The game was a tale of two halves: a cagey opening period where Nigeria probed patiently before unlocking the defense, followed by a second-half demolition that exposed Benin’s fragility. Victor Osimhen’s hat-trick was the defining narrative, a masterclass from Africa’s premier striker, but it was the collective cohesion under interim coach Eric Chelle that truly shone, marking their best outing in qualifiers. For Benin, it was a sobering collapse, highlighting the fine line between overachievement and overexposure against elite opposition.
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Dominant Nigeria outclasses a resilient but fragile Benin
The Super Eagles were electric from the outset, blending high pressing with intricate build-up play to suffocate Benin. Their performance was a marked improvement from the labored 2-0 win over Lesotho four days prior, where they scraped past a minnow with wasteful finishing. Here, they controlled 62% possession overall, generating 18 shots (9 on target) to Benin’s meager 6 (2 on target). Defensively, they were imperious, conceding zero big chances and restricting Benin to crosses that rarely troubled the backline. The four changes from the Lesotho game, Wilfred Ndidi captaining in midfield, Moses Simon’s milestone 85th cap on the left, Osimhen partnering Akor Adams up top, and Calvin Bassey at center-back, infused fresh energy and balance. Nigeria’s attack flowed with purpose, exploiting Benin’s high line through vertical passes and overlapping runs. However, their high line occasionally invited counters, a vulnerability that could prove costly in playoffs against savvier teams.
Critically, this was Nigeria at their fluid best: a team that has often underperformed in qualifiers due to internal strife and tactical rigidity. Chelle’s setup rewarded risk-taking, with midfield transitions sharp and full-backs pushing forward. Yet, the reliance on Osimhen for goals (he scored 5 of Nigeria’s 8 in the campaign) underscores a lack of secondary threats, Ademola Lookman’s suspension was felt, as wingers Samuel Chukwueze and Simon created but rarely converted.
The Cheetahs arrived as group leaders, unbeaten in their last five qualifiers, but were unceremoniously dismantled. Under Rohr, the German tactician who led Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup, their game plan emphasized organization and counter-attacks, leveraging physicality in midfield and the pace of wingers like Dodo Dokou. Early on, they frustrated Nigeria, holding 42% possession in the first 15 minutes and forcing a save from Stanley Nwabali through Junior Olaitan’s long-range effort. But as the game wore on, their defense crumbled under sustained pressure, with center-backs Cedric Hountondji and Mohamed Tijani both booked for cynical fouls on Osimhen.
Benin’s performance was a microcosm of their campaign: gritty and opportunistic, but lacking depth when Plan A faltered. They completed just 68% of passes (vs. Nigeria’s 85%) and won only 4 tackles in the second half, allowing Nigeria 7 shots from inside the box post-interval. Rohr’s decision to start Steve Mounie as a lone striker isolated him, with support from Tosin Aiyegun sporadic at best. Positively, goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou made 5 saves, but he was exposed by a porous midfield duo of Olivier Verdon and Hassane Imourane, who couldn’t stem Ndidi and Onyeka’s dominance. Critically, Benin’s inability to adapt, failing to drop deeper or introduce more defensive steel via substitutes like Romaric Amoussou, turned a potential point into a humiliation, ending their qualification hopes and exposing squad limitations beyond Rohr’s pragmatic blueprint.
Super Eagles’ pressing overwhelms Cheetahs’ counters
Nigeria deployed a high-octane 4-2-3-1 under Chelle, with Ndidi and Onyeka anchoring a double pivot that allowed Alex Iwobi freedom as a No. 10. The key was an aggressive Gegenpress: forwards Osimhen and Adams triggered turnovers high up the pitch, forcing Benin into hurried long balls that Bassey and captain Troost-Ekong devoured aerially. Flanks were weaponized, Simon and Chukwueze’s width stretched Benin’s full-backs (David Kiki and Tamimou Ouorou), creating pockets for Iwobi’s through-balls. In the second half, Nigeria shifted to a 4-4-2 diamond during possession phases, overloading the center to exploit Hountondji’s rash positioning. This tactical fluidity yielded 4 big chances from open play, a stark contrast to their earlier qualifiers’ predictability.
Benin, true to Rohr’s influence, set up in a compact 4-2-3-1, absorbing pressure and seeking transitions via Dokou’s dribbling and Mounie’s hold-up. They pressed selectively in Nigeria’s half, targeting Iwobi’s distribution, but lacked intensity once breached. The plan was to cede possession (as in their 1-0 win over Nigeria earlier in the cycle) and hit on the break, but poor ball retention, losing possession 12 times in their defensive third, undid them. Substitutions like Jodel Dossou for Aiyegun in the 60th aimed to inject pace, but it backfired, leaving gaps that Osimhen ravaged. Critically, Rohr’s reluctance to go more defensive post-1-0 (instead pushing for an equalizer) invited the rout, a miscalculation against a desperate Nigeria.
Most outstanding players in Benin vs Nigeria
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria, 10/10): The Galatasaray star was untouchable, netting a hat-trick with poise and power. His 3rd minute opener, a clinical finish from Simon’s cut-back, broke the deadlock; the 26th minute volley after a Ndidi flick epitomized his aerial menace; and the 51st minute header sealed his dominance. He won 8 duels, drew 4 fouls, and terrorized Benin’s backline, earning Man of the Match. Osimhen’s return from minor knocks was transformative, proving why he’s indispensable.Wilfred Ndidi (Nigeria, 8.5/10), Captain for the night, the Leicester midfielder was a colossus, completing 92% of passes, winning 7 tackles, and assisting Osimhen’s second with a clever lay-off. His scanning and interceptions neutralized Benin’s counters, providing the platform for attack.
Marcel Dandjinou (Benin, 7/10), Amid the chaos, Benin’s keeper was a lone bright spot, denying Chukwueze twice and Iwobi from distance. His distribution sparked two promising breaks, but he couldn’t stem the tide alone. Disappointments included Benin’s Mounie (5/10, anonymous) and Nigeria’s Adams (6/10, peripheral despite the assist setup).
Reviewing the match officiating
South African referee Victor Hlungwani had a steady game in a one-sided affair, issuing 5 yellows (3 to Benin, including Hountondji’s cynical pull on Osimhen in the 77th; 2 to Nigeria for time-wasting). He correctly waved away Benin’s penalty appeals in the 23rd (Osimhen’s challenge on Verdon deemed fair) and added 5 minutes to the first half without controversy. VAR wasn’t needed, but Hlungwani’s leniency on Benin’s robust tackling, several shoulder barges went unpunished, drew post-match grumbles from Rohr, who felt it disrupted Benin’s rhythm. Overall, fair and unobtrusive, allowing the football to flow; no major errors that swayed the outcome.
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Major highlights in Benin vs Nigeria
In the 3rd minute Osimhen Breaks the Ice (1-0), after a spell of Benin resistance, Simon’s low cross found Osimhen unmarked at the back post for a tap-in. The stadium erupted, shifting momentum decisively. Tense dressing room for Benin, trailing but level on points scenarios, Rohr’s half-time tweaks pushed for parity, but Nigeria’s resolve held firm. In the 51st minute, Osimhen’s stunner volley (3-0), Ndidi’s lofted pass was nodded down; Osimhen’s acrobatic finish from 12 yards screamed class, deflating Benin’s spirits early in the restart and completing his hat-trick.
In the 90th minute, Onyeka’s injury-time sealer (4-0), the Brentford man arrived late from a midfield surge, rifling a low drive into the bottom corner. Pandemonium in Uyo as qualification hopes reignited, until South Africa’s news filtered through. Benin’s best chance, a 14th-minute Olaitan curler saved by Nwabali, hinted at early threat, but they faded. No red cards, but the atmosphere was electric, with Nigerian fans mocking Rohr throughout.
Lessons learned from Benin vs Nigeria match
For Nigeria, this victory reaffirms the power of unity and firepower: ditching egos (as in prior draws) and unleashing Osimhen in a supportive system yielded results. Lesson one: Depth beyond stars is key, playoffs demand consistent threats from Iwobi and Chukwueze. Two: Home form (unbeaten in Uyo qualifiers) is a fortress; leverage it in November’s playoff draw. Critically, the campaign exposed over-reliance on individual brilliance, address squad rotation to avoid burnout.
For Benin, the collapse teaches humility in success: topping the group bred complacency, and failing to adapt mid-game cost dearly. Rohr must instill resilience; their counters worked pre-tournament, but against top sides, a Plan B (e.g., 5-3-2) is essential. Positively, this run (17 points, best ever) signals growth, invest in youth like Dokou for future cycles. The dream deferred, but not denied; aim for AFCON 2025 redemption.
In sum, Nigeria’s roar drowned out Benin’s whimper, a cathartic end to a tortuous qualifier. Osimhen’s magic keeps the Super Eagles soaring, playoffs await, where unfinished business beckons.
