Benin Republic coach Gernot Rohr has voiced his frustration over costly officiating decisions during his side’s 4–0 defeat to Nigeria in Uyo earlier this month, Soccernet.ng reports.
That crushing defeat against the Super Eagles effectively ended Benin’s dream of qualifying for their first-ever World Cup.
The match on October 14 saw Victor Osimhen score a hat-trick for the Super Eagles, with two of those goals coming under controversial circumstances.
Nigeria’s emphatic win allowed South Africa to snatch the group’s automatic World Cup ticket, leaving Rohr’s side to wonder what might have been.
Osimhen opened the scoring after timing his run to perfection to collect a clever through ball from Samuel Chukwueze before finishing neatly beyond the Benin goalkeeper.
But Rohr believes the Galatasaray striker had beaten the offside trap too early — a decision that might have gone differently if VAR was in place.
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The second goal, scored just before the hour mark, saw Osimhen rise above his marker to nod home a powerful header from close range.
Benin players protested, insisting the forward had fouled the defender in the build-up. The referee waved away their appeals, and the goal stood, even as the defender stayed down for several minutes after the ball hit the net.
“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,” Gernot Rohr told CAFonline.
Gernot Rohr’s Benin left to ponder missed World Cup dream
Rohr’s team finished the qualifying campaign level on 17 points with Nigeria. However, the Super Eagles finished in second place due to a superior point haul weighted following the withdrawal of Eritrea.
“We finished (the World Cup qualifiers) with 17 points, as many as Nigeria, which already constitutes a significant confidence boost,” the German tactician added.
“We were the only team to beat Nigeria in Abidjan, while they remained undefeated in all other matches.”
It was small comfort for a Benin side that made significant strides under Gernot Rohr, including a memorable 2-1 win over Nigeria in Abidjan, the Super Eagles’ only defeat of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Nigeria, despite missing out on automatic qualification, remain in the hunt for a World Cup place.
The Super Eagles will face Gabon in Morocco on November 13 in a decisive playoff semifinal. The winner of that clash will meet either Cameroon or DR Congo for Africa’s lone ticket to the intercontinental playoffs — where two final spots for the World Cup will be decided.