The Cheetahs of Benin Republic have suffered a blow as young exciting forward Rodolfo Aloko, is set to miss next month’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Nigeria’s Super Eagles due to injury.
Aloko suffered a knee injury during the eighth matchday of the qualifiers against Lesotho.
The 18-year-old Charlotte FC star is scheduled to undergo surgery and will be sidelined for several weeks.
Starting for the second consecutive time with Benin, Aloko made an impression against Lesotho by providing his first assist for the national team.
Also Read: We Can Still Beat South Africa To World Cup Qualification Ticket –Rohr
But his match came to an end in the 50th minute, when he collapsed on the pitch with a knee injury before being stretchered off.
Confirming the injury on Canal Sport, the sports program on local television station Canal 3 Benin (afriquesports.net), head coach Gernot Rohr said:”Unfortunately, we have a more serious injury, that of Rodolfo. He has a meniscus injury and needs surgery.
“He will likely miss the upcoming matches in October. It’s sad news because he was improving, with two very convincing performances.”
Benin Republic are currently in second place in Group C, and are on 14 points, just three points behind Bafana Bafana of South Africa.
There is the possibility that Benin Republic will go top of the group, before the final rounds of matches in the qualifiers in October if FIFA deduct three points and three goals from South Africa.
Bafana Bafana’s campaign could suffer a huge setback after they fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, against Lesotho in March. The South Africans won the game 2-0.
Benin Republic will travel to Kigali to face Rwanda on matchday 9 before ending the qualifiers against the Super Eagles in Uyo.
By James Agberebi
1 Comment
The more I read the likely punishment that would befall bafana, the more I am angry at NFF and our “star studded” Eagles.
I just read in a South Africa tabloid that they would not only be deducted 3 points and 3 goals, the 2 nil win they had against Lesotho in that ill-fated match would be erased completely.
That means 5 goals would be erased from the present +8 goals difference they have.
Not only did eagles fail to score more goals across 8 matches because they were so “unfair and unkind” to a nation even on more illustrious pitches, NFF couldn’t do their due diligence to inspect a pitch that would have been crucial to our world cup hopes.
Imagine, +8 goals would automatically become +3 for South Africa yet our overfed, over pampered, godfather-enabled, glasshouse-owed, strolling-to-camp, impassionate players who would have benefited wildly from an expanded 48 teams tournament because “football babies” would have also qualified for easy world cup match wins, took our qualifiers unseriously.
Benin should be allowed to make history by qualifying. 5 draws (and possibly still counting) out of 10 matches should not enable a serious soccer team qualify for any world cup edition.
Never…