2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Steve Mounie’s solitary striker powers Benin to victory against Zimbabwe

Benin beat Zimbabwe 1-0 on Friday afternoon in the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, thanks to a solitary strike from experienced striker Steve Mounie.

The victory keeps Benin in a good position for qualification in a tough Group C that has South Africa and Nigeria.

In the match against Zimbabwe today, Benin had to dig deep to secure all three points.

Both national teams impressed with their performances in the first half, but neither side could get on the scoresheet.

After recess, Benin netted through Steve Mounie in the 77^th minute to cruise to victory at the end of the 90 minutes.

Courtesy of the win, Benin now sits second in the Group C standings with 11 points, five behind leaders South Africa and three more than Rwanda in third place.

Rwanda could close in on Benin on Saturday if they can overcome Nigeria in their Round 7 encounter of the World Cup qualifiers.