Yohan Roche’s first-half strike proved decisive as Benin reignited their 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), round of 16 qualification hopes with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Botswana in Rabat.
This was Benin’s first ever victory at the AFCON. The result not only penned a brilliant chapter in their history, but also saw Gernot Rohr’s men respond positively after their opening-day defeat to DR Congo.
Meanwhile, Botswana’s ambitions of a first-ever progression to the knockout stage suffered a major setback following a second consecutive loss.
Benin made a purposeful start and were briefly celebrating inside the opening quarter of an hour before Aiyegun Tosin’s effort was ruled out for offside. Their persistence was eventually rewarded in the 28th minute when Roche found the breakthrough.
The left-back finished off a pass from captain Steve Mounié, his effort taking a decisive deflection off a defender before beating goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko.
Botswana came close to restoring parity seven minutes before the interval, but Mothusi Johnson’s superb free-kick crashed against the crossbar.
After the restart, Benin looked to put the contest beyond doubt. Tamimou Ouorou went close on two occasions, first forcing Phoko into a full-stretch save from distance before seeing another deflected effort well gathered by the Botswana goalkeeper.
Botswana pushed forward in the closing stages in search of a lifeline, but lacked the cutting edge required to trouble the Beninese defence.
The Zebras will conclude their Group D campaign against DR Congo in Rabat on Tuesday, while Benin face former champions Senegal in Tangier on the same day, knowing that a positive result could secure their place in the knockout phase.
