Sierra Leone Women 1-3 Benin Women – CAF Women's African Cup of Nations Qualifier, 25 February 2025

Benin Women made a strong statement on the road in their CAF Women's African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, claiming a convincing 3-1 victory over Sierra Leone Women on 25 February 2025. The result gave Benin a significant first-leg advantage and underlined their growing ambition to reach a first-ever Women's Africa Cup of Nations finals.

The match began with Sierra Leone looking to use home support and physical energy, but Benin gradually took control. After an evenly contested opening period, the visitors broke the deadlock with a well-worked move. Sierra Leone responded with urgency and found an equaliser before half-time, briefly lifting the home side's hopes of taking a positive result into the return leg.

Second-half turnaround decides the tie

With the score level, the second half brought a shift in momentum. Benin increased the tempo in midfield and exploited space behind the Sierra Leone defence. Two further goals sealed a commanding away win, with Benin's attackers showing sharp finishing at crucial moments. Sierra Leone struggled to retain possession under pressure and, despite a committed performance, could not find a way back into the contest after falling behind again.

• Result: Sierra Leone Women 1, Benin Women 3
• Venue: Sierra Leone (home fixture)
• Competition: CAF Women's African Cup of Nations qualifiers

The 3-1 scoreline gives Benin a clear advantage heading into the second leg, while Sierra Leone must overturn a two-goal deficit if they are to keep their continental dream alive. For Benin, this away victory marks one of the most impressive results in their recent women's international history and sets up a promising path toward the finals.