Benin Republic extended their lead at the top of Group C of the Africa 2026 World Cup qualifying series, on Thursday despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Zimbabwe.
Gernot Rohr’s men threw away a two-goal lead to drop points.
Steve Mounié pounced on a goalkeeping error to open the scoring, before Dodo Dokou doubled the lead before half time.
But complacency set in and the visitors were duly punished. Marshall Munetsi pulled one back for Zimbabwe just before halftime
In the second half, Knowledge Musona finished off a brilliant build-up with a one-time strike.
Despite the result, Benin Republic moved to the top of Group C with eight points, while Rwanda and South Africa are tied in second place with a game in hand.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have a great chance to close the gap by beating the Amavubi of Rwanda on Friday.
A win would take Eric Chelle’s team to six points, narrowing the gap on Benin Republic and Rwanda – who are the two serious contenders for the group’s sole automatic qualification spot—before facing Zimbabwe, the group’s bottom-placed team.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
