Already qualified for the Round of 16, Benin coach Gernot Rohr remains ambitious ahead of Tuesday’s 7:00 p.m. GMT clash with Senegal.

“We are very happy to have already qualified for the Round of 16 before the last game. It was our goal to get out of this difficult group,” Rohr said. “But that won’t change our motivation to play a good match against Senegal. If we win, we could finish in a better position and perhaps face a less difficult opponent.”

Despite the reduced stakes, the Benin coach made it clear that there would be no easing of intensity. He praised his player’s performances and ruled out any form of complacency for the final group fixture.

“After the first two matches, the team deserved to go further,” he insisted. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to give up on this third game. No. We’ll prepare for it as if we weren’t already qualified, because we want a good result.’

The objective now is to finish the group stage on a high note and improve Benin’s chances of a more favorable draw in the knockout phase, even though uncertainty remains over their next opponent.

“After that, we’ll see what the draw brings,” Rohr added. “It could be Egypt, which would mean playing in Agadir, but it could also be another team, depending on our final result.”