In a thrilling round of World Cup qualifying matches on Monday, Benin staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Nigeria 2-1, while Liverpool star Mohamed Salah scored a crucial equaliser for Egypt in a 1-1 draw against Guinea-Bissau. Ghana also demonstrated their resilience, overcoming a half-time deficit to secure a 4-3 victory over the Central African Republic, with Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew netting an impressive hat-trick.
Benin’s triumph over Nigeria was particularly meaningful for their coach, Gernot Rohr, the 70-year-old German who was dismissed by Nigeria in 2021 after five years at the helm. The victory propelled Benin, ranked 67 places below Nigeria, to the top of Group C with seven points, two ahead of Lesotho.
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 six-team section alongside South Africa. However, after three draws and a loss, they find themselves in fifth place with a mere three points, only above Zimbabwe.
The defeat by Benin has intensified the pressure on Nigeria coach Finidi George, who assumed the role when Portuguese boss Jose Pereira departed in February following the Cup of Nations. George has only managed one win in four competitive and friendly matches, and the loss to neighbouring Benin is likely to attract criticism.
Despite the disadvantage of having to play in the Ivorian commercial capital Abidjan due to the absence of a FIFA-approved stadium, Benin displayed remarkable resilience. They fell behind after 27 minutes when Samuel Chukwueze’s long pass was converted by Raphael Onyedika, who scored his first goal for Nigeria with a powerful shot.
Undeterred, Benin responded with goals from Jodel Dossou and captain Steve Mounie before the break to take a lead they maintained until the final whistle. Dossou surged forward to beat goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, while Mounie celebrated his 50th cap by slamming the ball into the net following an unconverted corner.
In Group A, Mohamed Salah added to his four goals against Djibouti in matchday one by equalising on 70 minutes in Bissau after Mama Balde had put Guinea-Bissau ahead just before half-time. Salah skilfully manoeuvred the ball past several defenders inside the area before unleashing a shot beyond goalkeeper Manuel Balde in the top-of-the-table clash.
Guinea-Bissau recently appointed former Fulham assistant manager Luis Boa Morte as coach after the failure of Baciro Cande to secure a single victory in four Cup of Nations tournaments led to his dismissal.
Egypt maintained a four-point lead over Guinea-Bissau, with Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone, who played out a 2-2 draw in Bamako, a further point adrift.
In Kumasi, Ghana experienced a rollercoaster match against the Central African Republic, leading and trailing before establishing a two-goal advantage. Jordan Ayew and Louis Mafouta, who plies his trade in the French second tier, both scored hat-tricks. Mafouta completed his treble in the final minute of regular time, setting up a tense finish before Ghana assumed the Group I leadership from Madagascar, who are scheduled to face Mali on Tuesday.
Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic made five changes following a surprising home defeat to Guinea last week, and the adjustments paid dividends with a 2-1 Group G victory over Uganda in Kampala. Travis Mutyaba capitalised on a careless pass by Mohamed Madani to race through and beat goalkeeper Anthony Mandrea, putting Uganda ahead on 10 minutes.
Houssem Aouar restored parity in the first minute of the second half, and former West Ham United forward Said Benrahma netted the match-winner in the 58th minute.
Algeria now sit atop the table with nine points, three more than Mozambique, who pulled off a 1-0 upset against Guinea courtesy of a last-gasp penalty converted by Geny Catamo.
