Rohr looks to repeat World Cup appearance with Benin

Gernot Rohr has stated that he would like to take Benin Republic to the FIFA World Cup, following in the footsteps of his success with Nigeria in Russia in 2018.

The 70-year-old Franco-German said as much after the Cheetahs defeated the Super Eagles 2-1 on Monday at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan during a Group C qualifying match.

Ten minutes after Raphael Onyedika gave Nigeria the lead against the flow of play, Jodel Dossou pulled them level at 37 minutes. Steve Mounié added a goal late in the second half to cap off the Cheetahs' incredible performance. With the victory, they took the top spot in the standings with seven points, rekindling Rohr's dreams of winning a trip to the Mundial in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

"They trusted me with a three-year contract when I first came in Benin. We have to inspire the players' and staff's dreams, so why not? I mentioned that we want to get to the World Cup; I participated in the World Cup with Nigeria in Russia; we had the youngest team there, in fact, and I want to do it again. After the game, Rohr, the hero of Monday's historic victory, was hoisted up by his teammates.

Although Rohr managed to qualify Nigeria for the 2018 World Cup in Russia with one game remaining, the team did not advance past Group D, which included Argentina, Croatia, and the Republic of Ireland. The Super Eagles surged back, reckoning with the same margin of win over Ireland after losing 2-0 to Croatia in the opening game. However, they fell 2-1 to Argentina in their last group game, finishing in third place with three points.

The former Bordeaux coach was hired on August 9, 2016, and after nearly six years in charge—35 wins, 16 draws, and 13 loses in 64 games—he was fired by the NFF on December 13, 2021.