Benin Republic midfielder Jordel Dossou has revealed the clever tactic he used to outmaneuver the Nigerian defense and score the equalizing goal in their 2-1 win in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Monday, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
While Nigerians complained of the poor communication between Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi in the building to the Squirrels’ equalizer, Dossou rather attributed the goal to the good work of his teammate, Steve Mounie and their preparation going into the match.
"We worked on this play in training," Dossou explained. "Steve wins almost all his duels, so we knew we could use that to our advantage."
Dossou revealed that Mounié had instructed him to change his approach, as Ajayi was closely marking him.
“Steve told me to hide behind the defender and wait for the right moment to strike," Dossou said.
"I did just that, and as soon as Steve released the ball, I appeared and stole it from the defender to score."
The goal was a testament to Benin Republic's clever tactics and Dossou's quick thinking on the field.
By Olujimi Dare Ogun