Benin’s Guépards booked their place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a courageous 0-0 draw against Libya in Tripoli. It was a remarkable performance, but one marred by regrettable incidents both on and off the pitch. After qualification, Steve Mounié, captain of the Cheetahs, had a fit of rage.
Monday evening had started well from a sporting point of view. The Cheetahs showed courage and determination to stand up to a Libyan team eager to shine in front of their home crowd. However, the atmosphere quickly turned hostile. ‘This Libyan team, this country, I would say, even its supporters didn’t respect us at the start of the match,” Steve Mounié, captain of the Guépards, told Benin’s national television channel. “They whistled our national anthem and we took it personally. The Libyans’ attitude galvanised the Beninese players, who were determined to emerge victorious from this challenge. “We wanted to qualify from this match. We did it the hard way, but we succeeded,” added Steve Mounié with pride.
A night of celebration turned to chaos
After the final whistle, the already tense atmosphere at the Tripoli International Stadium degenerated. Some Libyan fans were unhappy with the result and threw missiles onto the pitch. In an attempt to prevent clashes, the local security forces kept the Beninese players and their supporters inside the stadium. Unfortunately, this measure was not enough to prevent violence. Libyan security guards physically assaulted several members of the Benin delegation. Gernot Rohr, the coach, was hit on the left arm, and Enrico Pionetti, the goalkeeping coach, received a blow to the head. Other members of the technical staff and Beninese security guards also sustained serious injuries.
Videos broadcast live on social networks show a visibly scarred Gernot Rohr. Despite these incidents, Steve Mounié was keen to stress the importance of this qualification. “Benin are going to the African Cup of Nations today. Benin will be at CAN 2025. We can be proud of what we’ve achieved with this group of young players,” said the former Stade Brestois player, full of emotion. He also praised his team’s fighting spirit and unity. “We’ve just made history, it’s incredible. I think all the people of Benin are celebrating with this new group. We’ve given them that and I hope they’ll continue to support us.”
Leave a Reply