Rohr Blames Refereeing for Benin’s Costly Defeat to Nigeria
Benin Republic head coach Gernot Rohr has expressed frustration over what he described as poor officiating decisions during his team’s 4–0 loss to Nigeria in Uyo earlier this month.
The heavy defeat to the Super Eagles on October 14 ended Benin’s hopes of qualifying for their first-ever FIFA World Cup. Nigeria’s victory also allowed South Africa to claim the group’s automatic qualification spot, leaving Rohr’s side to reflect on what might have been.
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored a hat-trick in the match, with two of his goals coming under controversial circumstances. Rohr argued that the first goal, which saw Osimhen collect a through ball from Samuel Chukwueze before finishing smartly, should have been ruled offside.
“Our only regrets concern the first two goals conceded in Nigeria in the decisive match. These situations would have deserved, in my opinion, a different decision and would have allowed us to obtain more justice,” Rohr told CAFonline.
The Benin coach also questioned Osimhen’s second goal — a header scored just before the hour mark — claiming that the forward had fouled a defender in the build-up. The referee, however, ignored protests from the Benin players and allowed the goal to stand.
Despite the disappointment, Rohr praised his team’s progress in the qualifiers. Benin finished level on 17 points with Nigeria but placed third after the Super Eagles’ superior weighted points following Eritrea’s withdrawal.
“We finished the World Cup qualifiers with 17 points, as many as Nigeria, which already constitutes a significant confidence boost,” Rohr added. “We were the only team to beat Nigeria in Abidjan, while they remained undefeated in all other matches.”
That 2–1 win over Nigeria in Abidjan earlier in the campaign remains a proud moment for Rohr’s team, even as they missed out on a World Cup debut.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles will continue their quest for a World Cup place when they face Gabon in a playoff semifinal on 13 November in Morocco. The winner will meet either Cameroon or DR Congo for Africa’s last ticket to the intercontinental playoffs.
