Benin national football team
Shirt badge/Association crest | |||
Nickname(s) | Les Guépards (The Cheetahs) Formerly: Les Ecureuils (The Squirrels) | ||
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Association | Benin Football Federation | ||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
Sub-confederation | WAFU (West Africa) | ||
Head coach | Moussa Latoundji (caretaker) | ||
Captain | Khaled Adénon | ||
Most caps | Stéphane Sessègnon (83) | ||
Top scorer | Stéphane Sessègnon (24) | ||
Home stadium | Stade de l'Amitié | ||
FIFA code | BEN | ||
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FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 91 (6 October 2022)[1] | ||
Highest | 59 (November–December 2009, April 2010) | ||
Lowest | 165 (July 1996) | ||
First international | |||
Dahomey 0–1 Nigeria (Dahomey; 8 November 1959) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Dahomey 7–0 Mauritania (Abidjan, Ivory Coast; 27 December 1961) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Nigeria 10–1 Dahomey (Nigeria; 28 November 1959) | |||
Africa Cup of Nations | |||
Appearances | 4 (first in 2004) | ||
Best result | Quarter-finals (2019) |
The Benin national football team (French: Équipe nationale de Football du Benin), nicknamed Les Guépards (The Cheetahs), represent Benin in men's international association football and are controlled by the Benin Football Federation. They were known as Dahomey until 1975, when the Republic of Dahomey became Benin.
Benin have been affiliated with FIFA since 1962 and are a member of the Confederation of African Football since 1969. They have never qualified for the World Cup, but have participated at four Africa Cups of Nations in 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2019, never placing in the top two in the group stage at all of these occasions.
History
Benin hosted its first official international match on 8 November 1959, a 1-0 loss to Nigeria. The match was played while the country was still a French dependency, prior to its independence on 1 August 1960.
Benin qualified for the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, their first AFCON in history. However, they lost all three matches to South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria. Benin's only goal was scored by Moussa Latoundji against Nigeria.
History repeated itself again in 2008, when Benin lost to Mali, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Again, they scored only one goal through Razak Omotoyossi in the 4-1 defeat to the Ivory Coast.
In 2010, Benin's football championship was suspended after the Benin Football Federation's president, Anjorin Moucharaf, was arrested. Members of the BFF decried the imprisonment, saying that Moucharaf had been unjustly accused of fraud, leading to 12 of the 15 board members resigning in protest.[3]
In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Benin topped their group in the second round. They started with a defeat to Angola but went on to win the next four matches and ensure their qualification before the final day. In the third round of the qualifiers, Benin finished second in their group, three points behind Ghana. Despite not qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Benin's second place finish ensured their qualification to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, where they drew against Mozambique to receive their first ever point at the AFCON. The Squirrels then lost their other two matches against Nigeria and defending champions Egypt to finish third in their group and fail to progress to the next round. After that disastrous performance, on 8 February 2010, the Benin Football Federation, not willing to accept a group stage exit for the third time in a row, dissolved the national team and sacked coach Michel Dussuyer, as well as the rest of his staff.[4][5] Dussuyer was unaware that he had been sacked and claimed that he had not done anything wrong.[6] The team became an innocent victim of enraged African countries failing to accept defeat at major tournaments and disbanding their national teams in the early 2010s, along with Nigeria, the team that Benin have met in the group stage of all three of their AFCONs before their disbandment, which were suspended for two years by President Goodluck Jonathan after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In the second round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Benin were placed in Group H with Algeria, Mali and Rwanda. Benin finished third in their group, failing to advance to the next round.
On 9 May 2016, FIFA suspended Benin for unknown reasons.
At the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, despite advancing only as the third-best third-placed team, Benin, reunited with Dussuyer, reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to Senegal, with a shock win over Morocco.
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss
2021
11 November 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | Benin | 2–0 | Madagascar | Cotonou |
17:00 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: Stade de l'Amitié Referee: Bakary Gassama (Gambia) |
14 November 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | DR Congo | 2–0 | Benin | Kinshasa |
14:00 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: Stade des Martyrs Referee: Eric Otogo-Castane (Gabon) |
2022
27 March Friendly | Zambia | 1–2 | Benin | Antalya, Turkey |
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Report | Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex Referee: Batuhan Kolak (Turkey) |
4 June 2023 AFCON qualification | Senegal | 3–1 | Benin | Dakar, Senegal |
19:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Diamniadio Olympic Stadium Referee: Alaa Sabry (Egypt) |
8 June 2023 AFCON qualification | Benin | 0–1 | Mozambique | Cotonou, Benin |
20:00 UTC+1 | Report |
|
Stadium: Stade de l'Amitié Referee: Joseph Odey Ogabor (Nigeria) |
24 September Friendly | Mauritania | v | Benin | Mohammedia, Morocco |
Stadium: Stade El Bachir |
24 September Friendly | Benin | v | Madagascar | Casablanca, Morocco |
2023
March 2023 AFCON qualification | Benin | v | Rwanda | Benin |
--:-- UTC+1 | Report |
March 2023 AFCON qualification | Rwanda | v | Benin | Rwanda |
--:-- UTC+2 | Report |
September 2023 AFCON qualification | Benin | v | Senegal |
September 2023 AFCON qualification | Mozambique | v | Benin |
Coaching history
- Serge Devèze
- Wabi Gomez
- Peter Schnittger (1992)
- Moise Ekoue (1993)
- Cecil Jones Attuquayefio (2003–2004)
- Hervé Revelli (2004)
- Edmé Codjo (2005–2007)
- Didier Notheaux (2007)
- Reinhard Fabisch (2007–2008)
- Michel Dussuyer (2008–2010)
- Jean-Marc Nobilo (2010)
- Denis Goavec (2010–2011)
- Edmé Codjo (2011–2012)
- Manuel Amoros (2012–2014)
- Didier Ollé-Nicolle (2014)
- Oumar Tchomogo (2015–2017)
- Michel Dussuyer (2018–2021)
- Moussa Latoundji (2022-)
Players
Current squad
- The following players were called up for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches.[7]
- Match dates: 4 and 8 June 2022
- Opposition: Senegal and Mozambique
- Caps and goals correct as of: 8 June 2022, after the match against Mozambique
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for Benin in the last 12 months.[8]
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Guillaume Agbégninou | 26 December 1999 | 0 | 0 | ASVO | v. Togo, 29 March 2022 |
DF | Cédric Hountondji | 19 January 1994 | 18 | 0 | Clermont | v. DR Congo, 14 November 2021 |
DF | Djalilou Ouorou | 18 July 1997 | 3 | 0 | Les Buffles | v. DR Congo, 14 November 2021 |
DF | Abdou Bourou | 13 October 2000 | 1 | 0 | ASKO Kara | v. DR Congo, 14 November 2021 |
MF | Rodrigue Kossi | 11 July 2000 | 9 | 0 | Club Africain | v. Togo, 29 March 2022 |
MF | Jérôme Bonou | 27 January 1994 | 6 | 0 | Djoliba | v. DR Congo, 14 November 2021 |
FW | Tidjani Anaane | 27 March 1997 | 11 | 0 | Menemenspor | v. Togo, 29 March 2022 |
FW | Roland Béakou | 20 August 2001 | 1 | 0 | Loto-Popo | v. Togo, 29 March 2022 |
FW | Charbel Gomez | 27 January 2001 | 16 | 0 | Amiens | v. DR Congo, 14 November 2021 |
Player records
- As of 8 June 2022[9]
- Players in bold are still active with Benin.
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Competitive records
World Cup record
FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1930 to 1970 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
1974 | Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | ||||||||
1978 to 1982 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
1986 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||||||||
1990 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
1994 | Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 19 | ||||||||
1998 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
2002 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
2006 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 26 | |||||||||
2010 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
2014 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9 | |||||||||
2018 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
2022 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |||||||||
2026 | To be determined | Qualification yet to start | |||||||||||||
Total | − | 0/23 | − | − | − | − | − | − | 45 | 12 | 8 | 25 | 39 | 85 |
Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
1957 | Part of France | |||||||
1959 | ||||||||
1962 | Not affiliated to CAF | |||||||
1963 | ||||||||
1965 | Did not enter | |||||||
1968 | ||||||||
1970 | ||||||||
1972 | Did not qualify | |||||||
1974 | Withdrew | |||||||
1976 | ||||||||
1978 | Did not enter | |||||||
1980 | Did not qualify | |||||||
1982 | Did not enter | |||||||
1984 | Did not qualify | |||||||
1986 | ||||||||
1988 | ||||||||
1990 | ||||||||
1992 | ||||||||
1994 | ||||||||
1996 | Withdrew | |||||||
1998 | Did not qualify | |||||||
2000 | ||||||||
2002 | ||||||||
2004 | Group stage | 16th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
2006 | Did not qualify | |||||||
2008 | Group stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
2010 | Group stage | 14th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
2012 | Did not qualify | |||||||
2013 | ||||||||
2015 | ||||||||
2017 | ||||||||
2019 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
2021 | Did not qualify | |||||||
2023 | To be determined | |||||||
2025 | ||||||||
Total | Quarter-finals | 4/33 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 24 |
West African Nations Cup
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WAFU Nations Cup
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References
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ Kobo, Kingsley. "Fifa back detained Benin FA boss Anjorin Moucharaf". Goal.
- ^ Benin löst Nationalelf auf
- ^ "Bénin: Les Ecureuils et Michel DUSSUYER sanctionnés" (in French). Fédération Béninoise de Football. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ^ "Benin coach Michel Dussuyer 'unaware' of sacking". BBC Sport. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ^ "M's list Moussa Latoundji set to face Senegal and Mozambique". Écureuils du Bénin - Facebook. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Bénin – Zambie : Trois joueurs appelés en remplacement des blessés avec Désiré Sègbè Azankpo!" (in French). Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ Mamrud, Roberto. "Benin – Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
External links
- Football au Bénin (in French)
- Le miroir du football béninois! (in French)