Benin confident ahead of Stallions visit

Benin players celebrate

Thursday Nov 12, 2015. 13:30

Benin forward Frédéric Gounongbé and coach Oumar Tchomogo have expressed their confidence ahead of the first leg of their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso.

Benin will host the Stallions on Thursday afternoon (17h00 CAT) at Stade de l'Amitié in Cotonou, with the return leg set for November 17 in Ouagadougou.

Read: SA, Angola set for Benguela battle

“We have no pressure, we are confident in our qualities, in the team, and we will have the support from the crowd,” Gounongbé told bjfoot.com.

“At home, we are not expecting anything else than a victory, and it is why we are going to play. It will also be very important to keep a clean sheet, and we will see what happens in the return leg.”

Coach Tchomogo, meanwhile, told RFI that he believes his side can upset the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up.

“We are having a very good mind-set. Our team is strong, with a lot of quality, and we know what is at stake and don’t have any injury,” said the tactician. “We are going to show a new face. I am confident.”

Neither Benin nor Burkina Faso have qualified for the World Cup before.