Benin, Niger battle for third place

Benin and Niger will battle for the bronze medals at the 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations when they meet in the third-place playoff tomorrow at the Cape Coast Stadium. Kick-off is at 14:00 GMT.

Both teams had high hopes of claiming upset wins in their semifinals, but they succumbed to heavyweight opponents and will have to lift themselves for this match, which will serve as a curtain-raiser for the final.

Benin suffered a 1-0 loss at the hands of Nigeria, with Rabiu Ali’s first-half goal proving to be the difference between the teams, while Niger saw Kwame Kizito and Stephen Safro each find the net to condemn them to a 2-0 loss against hosts Ghana.

This will be the second time these teams have clashed in this year’s WAFU tournament: Benin beat Niger 2-1 last Tuesday night in the teams’ final Group B match.

The Squirrels came from a goal down to claim victory, with Rodrigue Fassinou and Jules Elegbede finding the back of the net, while the Menas played the majority of the match with nine men following first-half red cards to Mainassara Yahaya and Mahamadou Souley.

Benin and Niger have met in 13 previous matches, according to FIFA statistics. The Squirrels have claimed five wins — compared to three for the Menas — and outscored their opponents 20 goals to 16 in the process.