AFCON 2025: Beninese between disappointment and pride
The Guépards of Benin left the AFCON 2025, head held high, despite a cruel elimination in the eighth final against the Pharaohs of Egypt, 3-1 after extra time. At the Grand Stade in Agadir, Gernot Rohr’s men held on for a long time against the Pharaons, seven-time champions of Africa, before giving up in extra time on goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mohamed Salah. Jodel Dossou had however equalized at the end of the match (83'), after the opening goal by Marwan Attia (70').
Philemon MBALE · Author profile ·
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The Beninese oscillate between disappointment with the elimination and pride in the beautiful journey achieved by the Guépards in Morocco. Qualified for the eighth round thanks to a historic victory against the Zebras of Botswana (1-0), despite defeats against the Leopards of the DR Congo (0-1) and the Lions of Senegal (0-3), the Cheetahs of Benin confirmed their progress on the continental stage.
Fatality in the face of Egyptian superiority
At the end of the match, the Beninese supporters, gathered on the microphone of Sport News Africa, express contrasting emotions. A first fan summarizes the general feeling:
« We did not deserve it. They produced what they knew how to do. They sinned at the last minute by conceding the third goal. I believe that all one needs to do is wish Egypt a good journey.”
Another supporter, his voice tinged with bitterness, confides:
"It only took a few mistakes for us to be eliminated this evening. It’s terrible, it’s really painful. We encourage them. We will come back even stronger. More optimistic, a third declares: "It’s a start. What we can say is that for the next times to come, we will only go so far. We will only go so far.
Some recognize the opponent’s superiority:
«They played well. Only that the Egyptian team is stronger than us. We don’t have players in Benin. » A formula that undoubtedly highlights the gap between means and experience.
“At the coach’s level, there are things to correct. The goal is to go further than that.”
An amateur analyst, more detailed, goes back to the match scenario:
"A elimination of the Guépards du Bénin is painful, but we have no choice. A match is 90 minutes, if not more than 120. That’s what we witnessed tonight. We felt a team that wanted to. I believe that as soon as we cashed in, the players did not give up. They even more got into the dance. And it paid off with Junior Olaitan’s cross. The goalkeeper pushed back. Jodel Dossou managed to put the ball in the net. And it gave even more enthusiasm. And I think we went to the extensions. A test, if you don’t have enough energy, you let go. And I believe that’s what happened to us.”
Finally, a testimony emphasizes progress:
“Compared to previous years, I would say there has been more. But at the coach’s level, there are things to correct. The goal is to go further than that.
Despite the pain of elimination, this round in the eighth final, the second in the history of Benin after the AFCON 2019, suggests a promising future for the Cheetahs of Benin. Fans return to the country with the conviction that this generation can aim even higher in future editions.