Benin Republic have been dealt another major setback ahead of their decisive 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after defender Olivier Verdon was ruled out through injury.
Softfootball understands that Verdon will miss both the Group D encounter against Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the final qualifying fixture against Libya’s Mediterranean Knights.
The absence of the experienced defender is expected to be a significant blow for head coach Gernot Rohr, who is already without another key centre-back, Cédric Hountondji, due to injury.
Losing two senior defenders ahead of such crucial matches presents a major challenge for the Beninese coaching staff as they prepare to face one of Africa’s strongest attacking sides.
The Cheetahs will host the Super Eagles at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Thursday before travelling to Libya four days later for their final qualifier.
With qualification still on the line, Rohr will now have to reshuffle his defence as Benin aim to secure a place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
