Preview: Gernot Rohr’s Cheetahs target first AFCON win against struggling Zebras

Benin and Botswana face a “must-win” scenario in Rabat as they both seek their first points of AFCON 2025 to avoid a likely group-stage elimination.

Benin and Botswana meet at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah on Saturday in a high-stakes encounter, with both sides desperate to recover from opening-day defeats.

Benin suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to DR Congo, while Botswana was overwhelmed 3-0 by title favorites Senegal.

Sitting at the bottom of Group D, both nations recognize that a second consecutive loss would likely result in an early exit from the tournament.

Gernot Rohr’s Benin side enters the match as favorites, sitting 46 places above Botswana in the FIFA rankings.

Despite a three-match losing streak where they failed to score, the “Cheetahs” are bolstered by the return of key players Steve Mounie, Junior Olaitan, and Andreas Hountondji from suspension.

This match is viewed as Benin’s most realistic chance to secure points before a daunting final group fixture against the formidable Senegal.

Botswana’s “Zebras” are currently on a dismal run, having gone eight matches without a victory and seven without a clean sheet.

Their opening performance was highlighted only by goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko, who made a record-breaking 14 saves against Senegal.

With a squad lacking proven goal-scorers, experts predict a tightly contested, low-scoring affair, with the West Africans expected to edge out a narrow 1-0 victory to revive their campaign.