By Our Reporter in Rabat
BENIN finally tasted victory at the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in their history, sinking Botswana 1-0 in a sun-drenched Rabat.
The Stade Olympique de Rabat—better known as the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium—played host to a piece of African football folklore on Saturday.
It was the venue where Gernot Rohr’s “Cheetahs” finally tore up the record books, ending a miserable 21-year, 15-match winless run at the finals.
In a stadium usually reserved for the elite of Moroccan football, it was the unlikely figure of defender Yohan Roche who emerged as the hero. In the 28th minute, Roche surged forward, exchanged a slick one-two with skipper Steve Mounie, and let fly with a shot that took a wicked deflection before looping over Goitseone Phoko into the net.
The roar from the small but vocal contingent of Benin fans echoed around the cavernous Rabat stands, celebrating a lead they had waited nearly a quarter of a century to see held until the final whistle.
Botswana, the “Zebras,” will feel the Moroccan turf was cursed. They nearly silenced the stadium just before the break when Mothusi Johnson unleashed a thunderbolt of a free-kick that rattled the crossbar with the Benin keeper beaten.
Despite a late onslaught from Botswana, the Benin defense held firm in the Rabat heat to secure three vital Group D points.
The win keeps their dreams of the knockout stages alive and leaves the Zebras facing a mountain to climb.
As the sun set over the Rabat skyline, the Cheetahs celebrated a historic first—proving that in the AFCON, every dog (or big cat) has its day.
