Rodolfo Aloka double earns Benin victory over Mauritania in AFCON 2027 qualifying

Benin secured their first win in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers by beating Mauritania 2-1 in the second round of Group F on Tuesday.

The Guepards made the stronger start and established control of the match before holding on to their lead at the final whistle.

Rodolfo Aloka was the decisive figure for Benin, scoring twice. The forward opened the scoring in the 31st minute and struck again just one minute after half-time, putting his side in a commanding position.

Mauritania, known as the Mourabitounes, responded late in the game. Aboubakary Koita converted a penalty in the 80th minute to reduce the deficit and give his team hope of salvaging a result.

However, Mauritania could not find a second goal and Benin saw out the closing stages to claim all three points.

The victory takes Benin to four points from their opening two matches, leaving the Guepards top of Group F. They are level on points with Burkina Faso, setting up a closely contested continuation to the qualifying campaign.