Football authorities in Benin Republic are keeping their fingers crossed over the possibility of having as many as 3,000 supporters in the stands rooting for their team, The Squirrels against Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Saturday, megasportsarena.com reports.
With only few hours now separating both teams from their fifth match apiece in the qualifiers for Cameroon 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, officials at Federation Beninese de Football were awaiting were awaiting confirmation from Confederation of African Football (CAF) on the number of fans that could be admitted at Stade Charles de Gaulle.
The initial directive had been that only 200 persons could attend Saturday’s game in Porto Novo, but an official of FFB disclosed: “We are hoping for a favourable opinion on our letter requesting that we be allowed to have between 1,800 and 3,000 persons at the match.”
CAF have already appointed officials from Morocco to superintend the game, with Rédouane Jiyed, a 42 –year old who became an international referee in 2009 and currently one of the highest rated referees in Africa, dictating the tune.
He will be assisted by Lahsen Azgaou (assistant referee 1), Mostafa Akarkad (assistant referee 2) and Samir Guezzaz (fourth official) – all Moroccans. The match commissioner is Yameogo David and Ghanaian Julius Ben Emunah is the security officer.
That has set the stage for another West Coast derby, with victory on the ind of The Squirrels, who sensationally reached the quarter finals of the last AFCON in Egypt two years ago before losing to Tunisia, who then fell to Nigeria in the third-place match.
Michel Dussuyer’s side had their last training session at Stade Charles de Gaulle on Thursday, with the French tactician declaring that his boys are ready to calmly collect the three points from better fancied Nigeria.
The 61-year-old Dussuyer, a former French professional footballer and well-travelled tactician, stressed that remains confident that his team can sneak past the Eagles to top of the pool ahead of the last round of matches in a few days.
He is banking on the power-play upfront of the hulking Michael Pote, the defensive competence of David Kiki, Yohan Roche, Khaled Adenon and Cedric Hountondji as well as the midfield savvy of Anaane Tidjane, Jordan Adeoti and Rodrigue Kossi.
Also available for Dussuyer is the guile of Steve Mounie, Jacques Bessan and Jerome Bonou, while goalkeepers Saturnin Allagbe and Fabien Farnolle will contend for the number one spot in a game that could also see the Beninese qualify for Cameroon 2022 as well.
Heading into the fixture, Nigeria’s contingent for Saturday’s penultimate qualifying match for AFCON 2022 landed by boat into the tiny West African nation with much buzz, glitz and glitter on Friday afternoon, arriving at the Porto Novo Jetty in half a dozen boats across the waterways from Lekki, Nigeria.
His Excellency Ambassador Olawale Awe, Nigeria’s ambassador to Benin Republic, led mission staff to await the delegation and then accompanied the team and its officials to Cotonou, where the group is ensconced at the Golden Tulip Hotel. The Super Eagles will ride by bus to Porto Novo on Saturday morning and return to the Golden Tulip after their clash with the Squirrels at the Stade Charles de Gaulle.
The three-time champions could make sure of a 19th appearance at African football’s flagship tournament if Sierra Leone and Lesotho are locked in a stalemate in their early game in Maseru on Saturday.
However, despite knowing that only a raw would see them through, the Eagles insist that they will be focusing on their own game and result rather than wait for help from one bumpy pitch in southern Africa.
