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KEY PLAYERS MISSING AS BENIN UNVEILS SQUAD TO FACE NIGERIA IN AFCON 2021 QUALIFIERS

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

French coach of Benin Republic, Michel Dussuyer, has unveiled a 23-man squad that will face Nigeria in the upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying duel in Uyo.

According to L’événement Précis in Benin Republic, from this list, the team’s defence in the duel with Nigeria would be largely experimental owing to absence of some key defenders.

Olivier Verdon who is included is not eligible to play the match with Nigeria following the red card he received in the Round of 16 match with Morocco in Egypt last July.

The match with Nigeria will be the second after the red card incidence at the 2020 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

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He will therefore come back against Sierra Leone a week later. The publication has it that Verdon’s absence for the match with Nigeria does not worry Coach Dussuyer.

“It is true that many are without experience but it is a whole team that will defend, it will not be only central defenders,” the coach is quoted to have remarked.

He added: “we have a certain experience with respect to if the team is disciplined in the field, it can create problems for the Nigerians. “

Another publication in Benin, La Nouvelle Tribune noted the absence of Saturnin Allagbé and Khaled Adénon. The first is injured and the coach said his injury is serious. The Beninese goalkeeper has an appointment on Tuesday with doctors in Bordeaux to be fixed on his situation.

He is replaced by the goalkeeper of ESAE (league club 1 in Benin), Marcel Dandjinou. The second missing player, Khaled Adénon has just recovered from injury and is without a club.

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Here is the list of the 23 players selected

Goalkeepers:
Farnolle Fabien, Marcel Dandjinou, Kakpo Cherif Dine

Defenders:
Doremus Melvyn, Assogba Youssouf, Hountondji Cedric, Kiki David, Jean Ogoucchi, Imorou Emmanuel, Olivier Verdon, Yarou Nabil

Midfielders:
Adeoti Jordan, D’Almeida Sessi, Agossa Bonou Jerome, Mama Seibou, Stephane Sessegnon, Tidjani Anaane

Attackers:
Aguemon Yannick, Dossou Jodel, Marcellin Koukpo, Mounie Steve, Mickaël Pote, Soukou Cebio.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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