The former defender of the Girondins de Bordeaux will have to quickly revive Benin in the race for qualification for the next CAN in Côte d’Ivoire. In March, Benin will face Rwanda for a double confrontation counting for the 4th and 5th days of the playoffs. Badly embarked, Benin almost mortgaged its chances of qualifying in group L.
Indeed, Benin did not collect any points during the first two days. The Beninese lost heavily 3-1 in Dakar against Senegal and were also beaten at home against Mozambique (1-0). Two consecutive failures that we will have to quickly forget to raise the bar.
Rebuild a new group
« We will have very little time to prepare for this double confrontation. It is true that with two initial defeats, the team has a heavy handicap. It will now be a question of winning the next match against Rwanda in Cotonou and after all may still be possible “Says the new coach of the Cheetahs at the microphone of RFI. And to add: We believe in it, but it is not the only objective. Above all, we must rebuild a group that has aged. We will have to renew the workforce. We want to give back a positive image of this Beninese football which deserves it. We will try to restore discipline. »
In comparison with the Nigerian, Gernot Rohr knows that he will not have a very large pool of new players. ” It’s true that there aren’t that many great Beninese players in the European and South American teams, but it’s a challenge. I appreciated the seriousness of the leaders and the championship in Benin restarted. I believe there is a future », hopes Gernot Rohr.
Find the exploits of the CAN 2019
In 2019, Benin participated in the CAN in Egypt and came out for the first time in four participations in the group stage. In the round of 16, the Beninese players had eliminated Morocco on penalties, a feat for the teammates of Stéphane Sessègnon, before being beaten by Senegal in the quarters. In the past, the Squirrels had lost in their five confrontations against the Moroccans. Previously, Benin had never won a single match in 13 games in the final phase of a CAN.
Now nicknamed the Cheetahs, the Beninese players have at their head a man of experience, capable of allowing them to create a new exploit. Benin will regroup on March 18. Gernot Rohr will announce a first list 15 days before this grouping. ” I had beaten Benin twice with the Nigeria and I found this nation very interesting, with a lot of fair play Concludes the new coach.
Words by Gernot Rohr collected by Victor Missistrano