Benin midfielder Junior Olaitan eyes victory over Burkina Faso in AFCON 2027 qualifier opener

Benin midfielder Junior Olaitan says the Cheetahs are determined to learn from their previous encounter with Burkina Faso as they prepare to open their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The Cheetahs will travel to Ouagadougou to face Burkina Faso on September 25 at the Stade du 4-Août, with both sides looking to make a strong start to their qualification campaign.

The fixture will be a familiar one for Benin, who have already faced the Burkinabe in the past. Burkina Faso emerged 3-0 winners in that meeting, but Olaitan insists the result has provided valuable lessons ahead of their latest encounter.

The Besiktas midfielder believes Benin should not approach the game with fear, arguing that the pressure will be greater on the hosts to deliver in front of their supporters.

“We’re not feeling the pressure. They’re the ones under pressure, so we’ll just get on with our job,” Olaitan said.

“We’ll watch the footage and analyse how Burkina Faso play. We’ve already played them and lost 3-0, so we can’t make the same mistake twice.”

Olaitan’s comments underline the Cheetahs’ determination to avoid another heavy defeat and make better use of the lessons from their previous meeting.

With Burkina Faso familiar with Benin’s qualities, the midfielder expects the encounter to require discipline, patience and tactical awareness from the visitors. He believes analysing the previous game will help Benin identify the mistakes that contributed to the 3-0 loss and ensure they are not repeated.

The Cheetahs are also aiming to begin their qualifying campaign with a positive result, knowing that an away victory would provide an important boost to their ambitions of securing a place at the 2027 AFCON tournament.

Olaitan says Benin will not be rushing their approach, insisting that patience will be key as they look to exploit opportunities and secure maximum points.

“We’ll approach this match with patience and go for the three points.”

The midfielder’s confidence sets the tone for a Benin side determined to start the qualification campaign strongly. While Burkina Faso will have home advantage, the Cheetahs believe their previous meeting has given them useful insight into the challenge awaiting them in Ouagadougou.

Benin will now look to turn that experience into a better performance when the two sides meet on September 25, with Olaitan and his teammates targeting all three points in their opening qualifier.