The Super Eagles of Nigeria have arrived Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, ahead of Monday’s Group C 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Benin Republic.

In a video posted on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) TV, the players and coaching crew touched down on Sunday, June 9.

The Eagles will go into the game against Benin Republic on the back of a 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo on Friday.

It is their third consecutive draw in the World Cup qualifiers which places them in fifth place in the six-team table.

Benin Republic recorded their first win in the qualifiers after beating Rwanda 1-0 in Abidjan on Thursday. With the win, the Beninoise are third on four points.

Prior to the Eagles’game against South Africa, minnows Lesotho defeated Zimbabwe 2-0 away and currently top the table on five points.

The Eagles will come up against former head coach Gernot Rohr in Monday’s fixture.

The 70-year-old German coach was in charge of the Eagles from 2016 to 2021 and led them to a third-placed finish at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Also, he qualified the three-time Africa Cup of Nations winners to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia where the team crashed out in the group stage.

Despite qualifying the Eagles for the AFCON 2021 in Cameroon, he was fired on 12 December 2021 and was replaced by Austin Eguavoen.

Rohr was appointed head coach of the Benin Republic in 2023 but failed to qualify them for the AFCON 2023.

Monday’s World Cup qualifier will be the 17^th meeting between the Eagles and Benin Republic. In the previous meetings, the Eagles have won 13, drawn two and lost just one.

The last time the Eagles and Benin Republic clashed was in the final group game of the AFCON 2021 which the Nigerians won 1-0 away thanks to a Paul Onuachu 90^th-minute goal.

They had won the first leg 2-1 in Uyo after coming from a goal down to win 2-1 with Victor Osimhen and Samuel Kalu on target. (The Guardian)

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