World Cup (Q): Benin thrash Lesotho in Abidjan

Benin tightented their hold on second place in Group C from 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying with a dominant 4-0 victory over Lesotho to conclude Tuesday’s action from the African region.

pic.twitter.com/30G2FMFDtQ

— Main: @CenterOfGoals | Follow (@MaudieRook68015) September 9, 2025

Star striker Steve Mounié provided more heroics for supporters of the Cheetahs. The FC Augsburg forward opened the scoring inside six minutes before setting up Benin’s second goal for Andreas Hountondji.

Hassane Imourane’s deflected long distance strike completed a lopsided first half that saw Benin take an insurmountable 3-0 lead at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Junior Olaitan added one more goal in the 67th minute.

⚽️ GOAL | Hassane Imourane

🇧🇯 Benin 3-0 Lesotho 🇱🇸pic.twitter.com/bj8tFn9LiS

— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) September 9, 2025

Benin close the gap to three points between themselves and Group C leaders South Africa after Bafana Bafana played to a 1-1 draw with Nigeria at home earlier on Tuesday. In a tight group, Benin have a three-point edge on Nigeria and Rwanda for the runner-up position.

The pressure remains high on Benin heading into the two final games of qualifying in early October. The Cheetahs must travel to Kigali to face Rwanda before concluding the campaign at Nigeria, two very difficult fixtures they will need points from to remain in the hunt to qualify for a first-ever World Cup appearance.

Group C Table (8 of 10 matches played)

1. South Africa- 17 points
2. Benin- 14 points
3. Nigeria- 11 points
4. Rwanda- 11 points
5. Lesotho- 6 points
6. Zimbabwe- 4 points

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