AFCON 2025 Qualifiers: What can Amavubi do to beat Benin in Abidjan?

Rwanda will be hoping to pick their first win of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers when they take on Benin at Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Friday, October 11. The crunch encounter promises to spark high competition among two teams which have got used to each other. The two teams are meeting for the fourth time in two years. Benin have proven their mettle as a superior force, having recorded two wins (one through forfeit) and a draw during the past matches between them. Amavubi have a herculean task ahead as Torsten Spittler, who is enjoying an impressive run at the helm of affairs, hopes to turn the tie in Rwanda’s favor. Under Spittler, Amavubi have lost just once in their last 8 games in all competitions, conceding just two goals. The country’s recent form makes the encounter a dicey one as they show potential to bag the three maximum points even when they play away from home. Prior to Friday’s game, Times Sport takes a look at five things Amavubi can do to beat Benin. Push more men upfront Despite losing 1-0 to Benin in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on June 6, Amavubi controlled the second half of the clash as they pinned Gernot Rohr’s side to their own half. Rwanda at the time proved to be an even more dominant force in the second half after pushing more men forward. Bonheur Mugisha came from the bench to replace Steve Rubanguka and eventually controlled the midfield perfectly allowing the other players to move forward in search of goals. Had Rwanda had been prolific in the second half, they could have won the game and this is the right occasion for them to adjust their mistakes to beat Benin on Friday. Use the wings to perfection Amavubi have deadly wingers who can cause havoc anytime. Gilbert Mugisha, Jojea Kwizera, Ramadhan Niyibizi, and now Johan Marvin Kury have potential to pose a big threat to any of Rwanda’s Group D opponent. More balls should be supplied to them so that they can run at Benin defenders. Nigeria did that and it yielded dividends in their 3-0 win. Man-mark Benin on set pieces Amavubi’s back four of Ange Mutsinzi, Thierry Manzi, returning Emmanuel Imanishimwe and Fitina Ombrorenga might have learnt valuable lessons from their 1-0 defeat to Benin in June. In that game, they failed to clear their lines during a corner kick which allowed an unmarked Dodo Dokou to fire home the match winner in the 37th minute. Benin have strong players who can pose a danger in and around the box, so the onus lies on Amavubi to defend corners and free kicks very well. Get Innocent Nshuti busy with many passes Nshuti had only three chances throughout the game against Libya and he scored a goal. Again, against Nigeria in Kigali, he showed glimpses of brilliance despite not having enough chances in his 83 minutes of action. The One Knoxville FC striker needs support from the midfielders and fellow attackers to flourish. If the likes of ‘pass master’ Kevin Muhire can get him a couple of through passes, expect Nshuti to be the deciding factor in the game. Keep Mugisha, Bizimana and Muhire together in midfield Coach Torsten Spittler should stick to the midfield trio of Bonheur Mugisha, skipper Djihad Bizimana and Kevin Muhire. The three were superb against Benin, especially in the second half, and so were they against Nigeria. As strong as he may seem, Mugisha adds an extra advantage to the team; he passes well and he can break up opposing side’s defense as well. Playing him ahead of Rubanguka, who started in defensive midfield when the two teams last met, should be the ideal choice for Spittler. Benin’s midfield of Sessi D'Almeida and Dodo Dokou is so strong, someone like Mugisha can unlock their game plan with his break up play.

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AFCON 2025 Qualifiers: What can Amavubi do to beat Benin in Abidjan?