Benin Vs Nigeria: Steve Mounié confident Cheetahs can beat Super Eagles again!

The Cheetahs of Republic of Benin captain, Steve Mounié believes they can repeat the famous 2-1 defeat of Nigeria in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying game at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire last June when both teams meet on Thursday, this time in a MatchDay 5 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the same venue.

Mounié scored one of the goals in June and is confident the Cheetahs can triumph again and get themselves in a good position to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco next year.

‘We will have to be compact; we will have to defend well together; we will have to have the same idea on the pitch.

‘If we want to do anything against this Nigeria team, we will also have to know how to respond offensively while defending well. The key is to score goals,’ he said Wednesday at the pre-match press conference.

The Augsburg of Germany striker also sent a strong message to his teammates, insisting there will be no room for error in this West African derby.

‘My message will be the same as in June. I gave them the example of my former club. With Stade Brestois, we were able to stand up to the big teams in the French league.

‘I told them that we will have to do the same thing against this Nigeria and that we are able to look them straight in the eye.

‘On Thursday, we will have to be an actor in this match and try to give our best to get the victory,’ he added.