Afotimber
Benin Republic coach, Gernot Rohr, has expressed his frustration over the officiating decisions during his side’s 4–0 defeat to Nigeria in Uyo earlier this month.
That defeat against the Super Eagles 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 before Frank Onyeka added a fourth, with Rohr claiming that two of Osimhen’s goals should not have stood.
Osimhen opened the scoring after timing his run to intercept a clever through ball from Samuel Chukwueze before finishing neatly beyond the Benin goalkeeper.
However, the former Super Eagles coach believes the Galatasaray striker had beaten the offside trap too early, a decision, he feels, that might have gone differently if VAR was in place.
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.
“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.
“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.”
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.
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.