Obasa’s NPFL knowledge earned him AFCON qualifier spot with Benin, says Rohr

With four clean sheets in six games for Remo Stars this season, Serge Obassa’s unexpected inclusion in Benin Republic’s squad to face Nigeria on Thursday could be a tactical ace for Gernot Rohr.

Benin Republic head coach Gernot Rohr has expressed his confidence in Remo Stars’s goalkeeper Serge Obassa as the Cheetahs gear up to face the Super Eagles in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on Thursday, November 14.

Rohr, who led Nigeria’s Super Eagles from 2016 to 2021, named Obassa in his 22-man squad for the qualifiers against Nigeria and Libya. Explaining his decision, the German coach said, “Obassa knows Nigerian football very well since he plays for Remo Stars, which is one of the best clubs in Nigeria at the moment.

“So his experience and know-how can also be useful to us, whether in training or possibly in matches,” Rohr told Mega Sports.

Though not yet a mainstay in Benin’s squad, Obassa has been pivotal in Remo Stars’s title pursuit during the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier League (NPFL) season. The 28-year-old, who has two caps for Benin, has started in six of Remo’s eleven NPFL matches, securing four clean sheets and conceding only twice.

Meanwhile, 21 Eagles have arrived Nigeria’s camp in Abidjan, the Ivorian capital, ahead of the clash against Benin at the Felix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium on Thursday.

Having earned three points following the ordeal they faced in Libya, the Super Eagles now top Group D with 10 points from four matches and need just one point to seal their qualification for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.