Benin one hand on World Cup dream

A 1-0 away win over Rwanda on October 10 put Benin at the top of Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Africa, and is only one draw away from a ticket to the biggest football festival on the planet.

Benin is on the rise in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Benin - a tiny team ranked 93rd in the world - above Equatorial Guinea and China - have never appeared in a World Cup. But now, they are facing a historic opportunity: if they do not lose to Nigeria in the final match, Benin will make their first appearance at the biggest football festival on the planet, taking place in the US, Mexico and Canada next year.

The 1-0 win over Rwanda was typical of Benin's pragmatic and disciplined style of play. For most of the game, they settled for a deep defence, not crossing the halfway line. But it only took one moment for Benin to make the difference: goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou threw a long ball, Ampussou escaped the chaos of Rwanda's defence and crossed for Tosin to tap in easily.

This victory not only helped Benin eliminate Rwanda from the play-off race, but also benefited from South Africa's surprise 0-0 draw with Zimbabwe, thereby taking a two-point lead over their opponents. That means they only need a draw against Nigeria to officially write the first golden page for their home football history.

However, the final match promises to be a thrilling one. Nigeria, who just beat Lesotho 2-1, is three points behind Benin and will be eliminated from the play-off group if the situation remains the same. The “Super Eagles” must beat Benin by at least three goals, and hope that South Africa does not beat Rwanda, to have any hope of qualifying.

On one side is Benin - the miracle phenomenon of the African qualifying round, on the other side is Nigeria - the giant in a desperate situation. The final match of Group C will not only be a battle for points, but also a race between faith, courage and history.

Source: https://znews.vn/benin-cham-mot-tay-vao-giac-mo-world-cup-post1592724.html