Benin Upsets Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt Secure Draws in FIFA WC Qualifiers

Benin produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Nigeria 2-1, while Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah rescued a 1-1 draw for Egypt against Guinea-Bissau in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Monday.

Ghana also staged a comeback, overcoming a halftime deficit to beat the Central African Republic 4-3, with Crystal Palace’s Jordan Ayew scoring a hat-trick.

The victory was particularly satisfying for Benin coach Gernot Rohr, the 70-year-old German who was sacked by Nigeria in 2021 after five years in charge.

Benin’s win propelled them to the top of Group C with seven points, two ahead of Lesotho, despite being ranked 67 places below Nigeria.

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Nigeria, six-time World Cup qualifiers and runners-up to hosts Ivory Coast in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, were expected to dominate the group with South Africa. However, they currently sit fifth with just three points, below even Zimbabwe.

The defeat puts pressure on Nigeria coach Finidi George, who took over after Portuguese boss Jose Pereira resigned in February. George has won just one of four competitive and friendly matches.

Benin, lacking a FIFA-approved stadium, played in Abidjan and fell behind to Raphael Onyedika’s goal for Nigeria. However, Jodel Dossou and captain Steve Mounie scored before halftime to secure the win for Benin.

Benin lead the group with seven points, followed by Lesotho with five, Rwanda and South Africa with four each, Nigeria with three, and Zimbabwe with two.

Lesotho, playing home matches in South Africa, host Rwanda, while South Africa face Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, 11 June.