• Competition: CAN Qualification - Group D
• Date: Saturday, 7th, September 2024
• Kickoff: 17:00 UK / 18.00 CEST
• Venue: Godswill Akpabio International Stadium (Uyo)

In an effort to start their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign on a high, Nigeria will welcome Benin to the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium this Saturday.

Seven months after being denied their fourth AFCON title in history by squandering a first-half lead and eventually slipping to a 1-2 defeat against hosts Ivory Coast in the final, the Nigerians will be eager to immediately showcase their ambitious intentions for the new edition. Following a string of dismal results recently, the NFF made the decision to sack Finidi George after a short stint and bring in Augustine Eguavoen temporarily, as the 59-year-old will be hoping to manage the upcoming September fixtures well enough to dodge the same outcome as his predecessor.

On the other side, Benin have not been frequent participants on the AFCON stage in recent years, having only qualified for the finals once between 2012 and 2023, and that sole appearance came in 2019 in Egypt where they made their deepest run by advancing to the quarterfinals. During their previous Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, Les Guepards were unable to progress beyond the group stage, ending five points behind Mozambique, but now they hope to end their five-year absence and book their ticket to Morocco in a group featuring Rwanda and Libya.

Nigeria vs Benin Betting Tips: UNDER 2.5

There is no doubt that the Nigerians will do everything in their power to avenge their defeat to Benin in the June qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, but given their recent underwhelming performances and a new face on the sidelines, we do not expect the Super Eagles to get full points easily. Indeed, Nigeria has fallen into a slump recently, having endured an uncomfortable three-game winless run, and they are still waiting for their first victory in WC qualifiers (D3 L1), which is simply unacceptable for a national team with such a playing staff. 

Interim coach Augustine Eguavoen will need to first restore his team’s scoring touch, which has been missing recently as they have managed to find the net only twice in their last three outings of any competition. Even though they come into Saturday's contest in good spirits with back-to-back wins under their belt, Benin has had a poor track record on the road in Nigeria, having succumbed to defeat in five consecutive H2Hs and being kept off the scoresheet in three of their last four. With the star striker Osimhen back in attack, Nigeria is expected to seek revenge, but we doubt they will do so in a ruthless manner as their recent form has been far from reliable.