Benin Secures Historic Victory Over Botswana in AFCON Group D
The Cheetahs secured their first-ever victory in an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final tournament by defeating Botswana 1-0 on Saturday. Playing at the Stade Olympique de Rabat, the West African side ended a 15-match winless streak in the competition’s history, a drought stretching back to their debut in 2004. The result not only makes history but also revitalizes Benin’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stages following a narrow opening loss to DR Congo.
The match began with high intensity as Benin sought to impose themselves early on. They appeared to have taken the lead within the opening ten minutes when Aiyegun Tosin found the back of the net, but the celebrations were cut short after the goal was ruled out for offside. Despite this setback, the Cheetahs continued to press, eventually finding their breakthrough in the 28th minute. Defender Yohan Roche became the hero of the afternoon, finishing a slick one-two with captain Steve Mounié. Roche’s strike took a significant deflection off a Botswana defender, looping over goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko to settle into the roof of the net.
Botswana, known as the Zebras, refused to go down without a fight and nearly leveled the score just before halftime. Midfielder Mothusi Johnson unleashed a powerful free-kick that beat Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou but crashed off the crossbar, much to the relief of the Beninese supporters.
Botswana continued to push in the second half, with manager Morena Ramoreboli making a triple substitution to increase the attacking threat. However, Benin’s defensive unit, led by Olivier Verdon and Mohamed Tijani, remained disciplined and composed under pressure.
As the game reached its final stages, Benin had several opportunities to double their lead. Tamimou Ouorou saw two dangerous efforts saved by Phoko, while Mounié missed a close-range chance to put the game beyond doubt.
Despite a late surge from Botswana and five minutes of added time, the Cheetahs held firm to claim all three points. This victory leaves Group D wide open, with Benin now level on points with Senegal and DR Congo, setting up a high-stakes final group match against Senegal on December 30.
