Matches between Benin and Sierra Leone would always have something special. Initially scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at the Béchir Stadium, it was finally moved to the Khouribga Stadium to be played at the same time.
Match day, the Cheetahs left their hotel at 1:45 p.m. to arrive in Khouribga, a distance of 124 km by road. All done after about 1h30min of travel. The Beninese arrived at the stadium on time. But this is not the case for their opponents of the day. The Leone Stars were a few minutes late, forcing the organizer to postpone the start of the match by around thirty minutes to allow both teams to have the necessary time to warm up properly. The coach Gernot ROHR, for his incoming eleven, trusts Mohamed Tijani. And Tamimou Ouorou will celebrate his first selection among the Seniors. A few minutes after kick-off, the Cheetahs’ star striker, captain Steve Mounié was injured by Sierra Leonean Alpha Turay. Unfortunately, he left his partners very early. The nature of his injury is currently unknown.
Gernot ROHR is forced to make his first change. He brings in Cebio Soukou. The match becomes balanced and the Cheetahs seek to monopolize the ball. It started out working well. Mohamed Tijani is clean in his transmissions just like Cédric Hountondji who makes a good start to the match. But, Tamimou misses his pass. The Sierra Leoneans recover the ball, the sanction is immediate. A dry cross strike shakes the small left net of the cage guarded by Saturnin Allagbé. Goal scored by Mohamed Buya Turay (1-0, 32nd). The score remained unchanged before the end of the first half despite Sessi d’Almeida’s huge strike.
In the second half, the Cheetahs showed more desire against a very aggressive, provocative and sometimes rough Sierra Leonean team. She has vice but also talent. As evidenced by the enormous save by his goalkeeper Ibrahim Saysay on the magnificent and surprising header of Jodel Dossou. In search of the equalizer, ROHR will bring in Steve Waren Traoré, Rodrigue Kossi, Prince Ricardo Dossou and Tosin Aiyégun.
By dint of trying, the Cheetahs will equalize at the end of added time. Tosin Aiyégun makes a mid-height cross for Cédric Hountondji. The colossus defender, credited with a good match, equalizes and opens his goal counter for the national team (1-1, 98th +8). His teammate Yohan Roche who played the entire second half also did well. The Cheetahs’ next outing is scheduled for October 17 against Madagascar. Gernot ROHR will continue to advance his team but will above all seek its first victory while awaiting the qualifiers for the 2026 Football World Cup which begin with two away games: South Africa # Benin and Lesotho # Benin.
Source: TMO/National Selection