Soccer -Benin confident ahead of World Cup qualifier with Nigeria

VIDEO SHOWS: SUPER EAGLES AND BENIN TEAMS TRAINING / NEWS CONFERENCES WITH COACHES AND CAPTAINS FROM BOTH TEAMS AHEAD OF MATCH / SOUNDBITES FROM COACHES AND CAPTAINS SHOWS: UYO, NIGERIA (OCTOBER 13, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 1. VARIOUS OF NIGERIA'S SUPER EAGLES TEAM TRAINING 2. BALLS ON PITCH 3. SUPER EAGLES COACH ERIC CHELLE WATCHING TEAM 4. SUPER EAGLES TEAM TRAINING 5. SUPER EAGLES COACH ERIC CHELLE AND CAPTAIN WILLIAM EKONG SEATED DURING A PRESSER 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SUPER EAGLES COACH, ERIC CHELLE, SAYING:     "I am very happy, I am very excited. Sometimes I am a little nervous but I like this pressure and tomorrow we will see." 7. JOURNALISTS WITH PHONES 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SUPER EAGLES CAPTAIN, WILLIAM TROOST-EKONG, SAYING:     "All the boys are really focused on being on the best game possibly tomorrow, playing against Benin is not easy. There's no guarantee because we are playing against the coach that knows this team very well. We've worked with him for 5 years, so there are so many factors and things that if you think you spend so much time thinking about all of that it's going to be distractions of what we have to do so we focus on ourselves like the coach said." 9. VARIOUS OF BENIN TEAM TRAINING 10.  COACH GERNOT ROHR AND CAPTAIN STEVE MOUNIE SEATED AT PRESS CONFERENCE 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BENIN TEAM COACH, GERNOT ROHR, SAYING:     "We can do it, and we are the only team from the three who still can hope to have our destiny in our hands, that's why I think we have a good position even if it will be a surprise to win here." 12. PHONE ON TRIPOD, RECORDING 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BENIN TEAM CAPTAIN, STEVE MOUNIE, SAYING:     "We have a chance tomorrow, we are the only team who beat Nigeria, I think we are the only team that can beat them again so hopefully we will take our chance tomorrow and get this qualification." 14. COACH GERNOT ROHR WATCHING HIS TEAM TRAIN STORY:      On Monday (October 13), Nigeria's Super Eagles and Benin's national football team intensified preparations ahead of their World Cup qualifier, with coaches and captains expressing cautious optimism during press briefings.      Benin, who defeated Nigeria during the first leg of the World Cup qualifiers, aim to replicate their success.       Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle said he was eager yet slightly nervous ahead of the match, "I am very happy, I am very excited. Sometimes I am a little nervous but I like this pressure and tomorrow we will see, he said." Captain William Troost-Ekong emphasized the team's focus despite facing their former coach, Gernot Rohr, who is now coaching the Benin team. "Playing against Benin is not easy… We've worked with him for five years, so there are so many factors… We focus on ourselves like the coach said," he remarked.      Benin's coach, Gernot Rohr, and captain Steve Mounie also expressed confidence ahead of the encounter. "We can do it, and we are the only team from the three who still can hope to have our destiny in our hands," Rohr stated      Both teams conducted training sessions in Uyo, with the match tomorrow set to determine crucial standings in the World Cup qualification campaign. (Production: Seun Sanni, Angela Ukomadu)

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