- 1 Benin vs Central African Republic: a first meeting, with Benin top and the visitors still on nil
- 2 Benin: Aloko’s two goals against Mauritania, and no Mounié
- 3 Central African Republic: one goal in two qualifiers and a coach with no games behind him
- 4 Free Football Prediction: Benin vs Central African Republic
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
Benin vs Central African Republic: a first meeting, with Benin top and the visitors still on nil 
Benin and the Central African Republic have never played each other at senior level. Thursday’s qualifier is the first recorded meeting between the two countries, and it comes with Benin top of Group F on four points and the visitors bottom on none.
The match is on Thursday 12 November, kick-off 19:00 UK time, on matchday three of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Benin are the home side but play in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and the return leg follows on Monday 16 November at the Stade de Japoma in Douala, Cameroon.
The top of the group is tight. Benin and Burkina Faso both have four points and a goal difference of plus one, with Benin ahead on goals scored, three to two. Mauritania have three points, and the top two go to the finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda next summer.
The Central African Republic changed coach on Friday 6 November. Abdelaziz Kerkache, a Moroccan who has managed Mouloudia Oujda, KAC Kénitra, Olympique Khouribga and Township Rollers, replaced Éloge Enza Yamissi less than a week before the trip to Abidjan.
The rankings put 56 places between the sides: Benin are 89th in the October FIFA list, the Central African Republic 145th. The visitors lost 3-1 to Mauritania and 1-0 at home to Burkina Faso in September, and they haven’t won a match of any kind since October 2025.
Benin have won one of their last five matches in all competitions, and they come into the window after a 3-0 defeat in Buenos Aires. Rohr has had his squad together in Abidjan since the start of the week.
Benin: Aloko’s two goals against Mauritania, and no Mounié 
Rodolfo Aloko scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Mauritania on 29 September, the first after 31 minutes and the second straight after half-time. Benin held on after Aboubakary Koïta’s 80th-minute penalty, and their goalkeeper had already saved a Djeidi Gassama spot kick midway through the second half.
Four days earlier they drew 1-1 in Ouagadougou. Lassina Traoré put Burkina Faso ahead from the spot on 20 minutes and Aiyegun Tosin equalised with a penalty of his own on 68, which makes Aloko and Tosin the scorers of all three Benin goals in the group.
The wider record is less tidy. Benin drew 1-1 with Niger and lost 5-1 to Togo in friendlies in June, then went down 3-0 to Argentina at the Monumental on 6 October in Lionel Messi’s final international. They’re unbeaten in their last three home games, with two wins and a draw.
Gernot Rohr is without his captain Steve Mounié, who’s injured. His 25-man squad includes Parfait Faton, a 16-year-old midfielder called up for the first time, and the attacking options around Tosin and Aloko include Olaïtan, Dossou and Oloko.
Twelve players were training in Abidjan on 9 November, with the rest arriving through the week. Neutral ground takes something away from Benin’s home advantage, but they beat Mauritania in the same city in September.
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Central African Republic: one goal in two qualifiers and a coach with no games behind him 
Goduine Koyalipou scored the Central African Republic’s only goal of the campaign, three minutes after half-time in Casablanca on 24 September. Mauritania had led through a Koïta penalty on 32 minutes, and Dawda Camara and Mamadou Diallo added goals on 69 and 89 for a 3-1 win.
The home defeat to Burkina Faso four days later was closer. It was 0-0 at half-time, and Aboubacar Camara scored on the hour, a minute after coming off the bench, from Arthur Zagré’s pass.
Before September the Central African Republic drew 1-1 with Togo and lost 3-0 to Angola in June friendlies. They’ve won one of their last seven away matches.
Kerkache takes charge of a competitive match for the first time on Thursday, with barely a week of preparation. Venuste Baboula, a regular in midfield, is a doubt with an ankle problem.
The probable attack is Koyalipou, Djimet and Solet, with Quarshie and Diomande in midfield. The back four that conceded four goals in two September games is expected to start largely unchanged, with Youfeigane in goal behind M’Baka and Gambor.
Probable lineup Benin: Dandjinou; T. Ouorou, Roche, Tijani, Azongnitodé; Imourane, D’Almeida, Dokou; Tosin, Aloko, Olaïtan
Probable lineup Central African Republic: Youfeigane; Yangao, M’Baka, Gambor, Yapende; Sambia, Quarshie, Diomande; Djimet, Solet, Koyalipou
Free Football Prediction: Benin vs Central African Republic
Our prediction: Benin to win (odds 1.47)
We’re backing Benin to win at 1.47. They’ve taken four points from a group that includes Burkina Faso and Mauritania, and the visitors have lost both of their qualifiers.
The case against is the venue and Benin’s patchy friendly results, the 5-1 defeat to Togo in June above all. Neutral ground in Abidjan didn’t stop them beating Mauritania in September, though, and without Mounié they still have the two players who’ve scored every one of their qualifying goals.
A new coach with days to work and a single goal in two matches leaves the Central African Republic short at both ends. We expect 2-0 to Benin, and a 2-1 also lands the pick.
The prices back that reading, with the draw at around 3.57 and an away win at 6.59. Benin lead the group on goals scored rather than goal difference, so a two-goal margin on Thursday would also help them if the section comes down to tiebreakers.
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