Yohan Roche’s first-half strike reignited Benin’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco round of 16 hopes with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Botswana in Rabat.
The win marked Benin’s first-ever victory at the AFCON, writing a memorable chapter in the nation’s football history. It also represented a strong response from Gernot Rohr’s side after their opening-day defeat to DR Congo.
For Botswana, hopes of a first-ever progression to the knockout stage suffered a major blow as they slipped to a second consecutive defeat in the group.
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Benin started with purpose and thought they had taken an early lead inside the opening 15 minutes, but Aiyegun Tosin’s effort was ruled out for offside. Their persistence was rewarded in the 28th minute when Roche made the breakthrough.
The left-back finished off a pass from captain Steve Mounié, with his strike taking a decisive deflection off a defender before beating goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko.
Roche, who was named Man of the Match, expressed pride in both the result and his contribution.
“It is a source of immense pride. We were aware of the people’s expectations, and we managed to stay focused to secure the win,” he said.
“This goal is particularly touching for me, especially after the difficulties of the first match. It was an immense joy to score the winning goal for Benin in front of my family, who are here in Morocco.
“So proud to have scored this winning goal. It was a tough match against a solid Botswana team, but we did what was necessary. I am happy to have contributed to this historic first victory at the Africa Cup. We keep going together.”
