On June 11, a dramatic matchup between Benin and Nigeria took place in the 4th round of the World Cup African qualifying group stage.
With the drums of war beating, Nigeria took the lead when in the 28th minute, Chukwueze's clever cross was met by Onyedika's cool shot to make the scoreline 1-0 in no time at all. However, Benin didn't surrender as they adjusted their strategy to try and turn the game around.
The turnaround came in the 37th minute. Jordel Dossou made a steal in front of the goal and put a precise shot on goal to make the score 1-1, demoralizing Benin as the game went into a whitewash.
Benin made a comeback in the extra time of the first half. In the 45th+3rd minute, a corner kick from Olaitan was headed home by Moune to put Benin back in front 2-1 and the victory was on the cards.
In the second half, both teams went all out. The Nigerian team tried to fight back, but the Beninese defense was like a brick wall and managed to withstand the onslaught of the Nigerian team with excellent teamwork and resilience.
In the 85th minute, Olawo's cross from the right was headed off the line by a defender. In the 86th minute, Onuachu's header went over the crossbar. Although the two attacking chances could not be converted into goals, the effort of the Nigerian team was evident.
With the referee's whistle, the match came to an end. Benin came back to beat Nigeria 2-1 to win this crucial battle. Goals from Moune and Jordel Dossou were key to the team's victory. Nigeria, on the other hand, led in the first half but eventually failed to withstand Benin's counter-attacks and left the field with regrets.
