Former Nigerian goalkeeper, Peter Rufai has warned the Super Eagles not to focus more of their attention on South Africa, Benin without showing respect to other teams in the group in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Recall that aside facing South Africa, Benin, the three-time Africa Cup of Nations champions will battle it out against Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho in Group C.
However, in a chat with Completesports.com, Rufai warned the Super Eagles to treat every game like a cup final.
“If you ask me, this is a very tough group because facing teams like Rwanda, South Africa, Benin, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe won’t be easy.
“The Super Eagles must not underestimate Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Lesotho if they really want to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Every team must be treated with great respect and will must approach each game like a cup final.”
Exclusive: Forget South Africa, Benin, Focus On Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Rwanda In 2026 WCQ –Rufai Warns Eagles
James Agberebi
James is a sport content creator and also does analysis on sports.
Also, James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men and women national teams.
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17 Comments
Why should they forget about them tho?
Every team can cause an upset
LET THEM CONTINUE TO BE TALKING ABOUT S/AFRICA, BENIN REP. & FORGET TO CONCENTRATE ON LESOTHO, ZIMBABWE, RWANDA. UNDERRATING THESE TEAMS, WE UNDERRATING THEM ON OUR OWN PERIL. ANYBODY THAT WATCH 2023 CHAN NATION CUP WILL KNOW THAT , THERE IS NO SMALL TEAM IN AFRCA FOOTBALL AGAIN. ALL THESE SMALL TEAMS ARE BETTER THAN S/AFRICA, BENIN REP.
BY NOW, WE SUPPOSE TO BE THANKING GOD THAT WE ARE NOT GIVING COMOROS, GAMBIA IN OUR GROUP. THESE ARE THE MOST IMPROVED TEAM IN AFRICA
If GENERAL ROAR was still the COACH of the SE,I could have ask my DOCTOR to give me some SLEEPING PILLS.I will just SLEEP from now till JANUARY 2026 then WAKE to the RECORD BREAKING NEWS that he had QUALIFIED us with like 4 GAMES to SPARE
As much as I do enjoy your posts, this your ROHRMANIA is becoming unbecoming. Rohr and the entire super Eagles players that lost to Central African Republic ought to have been guilotined on that pitch if it was in Lagos.
Had the Eagles been playing in Lagos, some of them would never ever come near the Super Eagles let alone ROHR. Even the current ream, some of them are not Lagos worthy. Lagos played an important role in the superb performances of the 94 class.
@COACHE Did GENERAL ROAR later QUALIFIED us with GAMES to SPARE or not?
PLEASE ANSWER..
Let him qualify Benin Republic with some games to spear….. rubbish coach
Whether GENERAL ROAR QUALIFIES BENIN REPUBLIC with GAMES to SPARE or not, HE still gat nothing to PROVE.
I mean PRIOR to when HE took over as BENIN’S COACH, they LOST 4 of their MATCH.
4 LOST in a ROW..
And since HE came on, HE is yet to TEST DEFEAT for like 4 GAMES now..
The LAST GAME was a DRAW against ALMIGHTY SENEGAL…
So tell me what else is there to SHOW that the MAN is GENIUS???
I think the best thing is to ignore his rohr posts or comment. I want to believe ROHr is his brother.
He lost CAR. But he qualified with games to spare, he top topped the group and that’s all that matters. He mate all his targets.
The loss to CAR was our nemesis as.it gave Ghana the impetus to believe they could get a.result in Nigeria.which they did. We will.soon pay for the loss to Ginea Bisau. The only good thing is that the Eagles will play in Port Harcourt.
Oga, there is no stadium ️ in Port Harcourt. Cattle are grazing within the perimeter of Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium. Spectators stand is unfinished job, bad pitch, environment dirty.
Why didnt your win over CAR away also give you an impetus to go and win Ghana on their home turf too……LMAooo.
See them trying to make up excuses for the stark failure of their 9-dunce local coaching crew.
@COACHE OGA ANSWER my QUESTION na…
Oya can you ANSWER that of @DR DREY? And stop going round please….
Everyone knows that if ROHR was the coach, we wouldn’t have been talking about how to qualify. But rather the players to assemble. Because for sure ROHR will qualify with 3 games to spare in this type of group. But here we are becoming scared without even kicking a ball. The Ghana experience is still haunting.
Good advice Dodo Mayana!A pedestrian can be knocked down by a Cotolla after escaping a trailer!
I am the happiest man on earth that we are playing Rohr so that after that match a lot of people on this forum will keep quiet and let us hear word.
Hahahaha…..everything at the moment indicates you will be the one to shut your gutters when that time comes, the same way you got dung stuffed in your mandibles when the most talentless and weak Ghana team in 50 years booted your arrogant asses out of the world cup with a coach who was just handling the team for the first time.
This was how you bragged and prayed to meet Ghana (because they were weak, judging by their AFCON participation) before the world cup qualifiers playoff draws were conducted because you felt you have the best players in Africa…LMAOoo…as if Osimhen alone can play 11 positions on the pitch.
Honestly, I will love Nigeria to go facing a Rohr-led Benin republic with this characteristic arrogance which we seem to not have learnt any lesson from.
A lot of you seem to have forgotten that Rohr was/is the type of coach that could alter his style/tactics per every opponent he faces, while your current SE has somehow become a team that cannot easily change its style of play in response to what its opponent is offering.
Apart from Osinhem and Chukwueze, your SE players dont seem to be playing in clubs far bigger than the ones Benin players play. Their players are aslo playing in France, Turkey, Switzerland, Cyprus, Greece and so on……so I dont really know the source of your senseless arrogance……LMAOoo.
We have never been able to roll over Benin since we first met them in 2004 and with a counter attacking specialist in Rohr, Im wondering what people like you have smooked to think you will steamroll them either home or away.
God sparing our lives, we’ll live beyond when both games will be played.
Hopefully one of them should not be one of those types of games where we must win by a certain margin to qualify for the world cup.