Already assured of a place in the Round of 16, Benin coach Gernot Rohr insists his side will approach Tuesday’s 7:00 p.m. GMT clash with Senegal with full intensity.
“We are very happy to have already qualified for the Round of 16 before the last game. It was our goal to get out of this difficult group,” Rohr said.
However, the German tactician made it clear that qualification would not dampen his team’s motivation.
“But that won’t change our motivation to play a good match against Senegal. If we win, we could finish in a better position and perhaps face a less difficult opponent.”
Rohr also praised his players’ performances so far while stressing there would be no complacency.
“After the first two matches, the team deserved to go further,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to give up on this third game. No. We’ll prepare for it as if we weren’t already qualified, because we want a good result.”
Looking ahead, Rohr emphasized the importance of finishing the group stage strongly to secure a more favourable draw in the knockout stages, even though their next opponent remains uncertain.
“After that, we’ll see what the draw brings,” he added. “It could be Egypt, which would mean playing in Agadir, but it could also be another team, depending on our final result.”
By: Pascal Amoah
