Benin recorded a landmark moment in their Africa Cup of Nations history after edging Botswana 1-0 in Rabat on Saturday to claim their first-ever win at the tournament.
Yohan Roche was the unlikely hero, scoring the decisive goal in the first half to earn Benin their opening points of the 2025 AFCON campaign.
The defender combined neatly with returning striker Steve Mounie, who missed the opening defeat to DR Congo, before lifting a looping effort from inside the area over goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko.
The goal was a significant one for Benin, marking their first victory in what was their 16th AFCON match across five tournament appearances. It also proved enough to separate the two sides in a tightly contested Group D encounter.
Botswana, who slipped to a second straight defeat, came agonisingly close to drawing level when Mothusi Johnson curled a superb free-kick against the crossbar shortly after Roche’s opener. The miss summed up a frustrating evening for the Zebras, who showed promise but lacked the cutting edge required to get back into the game.
Phoko was kept busy in the second half and produced two impressive saves to keep the scoreline respectable, first pushing away a strike from Tamimou Ouorou before reacting quickly to smother another effort after a heavy touch off Johnson.
Attention now turns to the final round of Group D fixtures on Tuesday. Benin will face Senegal in Tangier, while Botswana return to Rabat to take on DR Congo.
A draw against Senegal in their last match will be enough to send Benin into the knockout stage of AFCON 2025.
