September 05, (THEWILL) — Benin defeated Zimbabwe 1-0 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match at Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ivory Coast, on Friday evening. Steve Mounie scored the decisive goal with 13 minutes remaining, assisted by Yohan Roche, to claim his 21st international strike for the Cheetahs.
The victory moved Benin into second position in Group C, trailing leaders, South Africa, by five points with three matches remaining in the qualification campaign. Zimbabwe’s defeat leaves them in sixth place without a single win, effectively ending their hopes of direct qualification to the tournament.
Both teams struggled to create clear opportunities during a cagerous first half that finished goalless. The opening 15 minutes favoured Zimbabwe, but the match became increasingly cautious with limited chances for either side before the interval.
Benin coach, Gernot Rohr, made a tactical substitution nine minutes into the second half, replacing Andreas Hountondji with Razack Rachidou to refresh his attacking options. The change proved effective as both teams pushed for a breakthrough in the closing stages.
Benin will host Lesotho on September 9 seeking another victory to strengthen their qualification position. Zimbabwe face Rwanda at home on the same date, desperately needing their first win of the campaign to keep alive any remaining World Cup ambitions.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
