Benin national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Benin women's national football team.

The Benin national football team, (French: Équipe nationale de Football du Benin) nicknamed Les Écureuils (The Squirrels), represents Benin in men's international association football and is controlled by the Benin Football Federation. They were known as the Dahomey national football team until 1975, when Republic of Dahomey became Benin. They have never qualified for the World Cup, but have reached four African Nations Cup in recent years, never placing in the top 2 in the group stage – 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2019. In 2019, they reached the knockouts as the third most successful third place team, before making the quarter-finals with a shock win over Morocco, but later lost to Senegal. On 8 February 2010 after the preliminary competition from the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, the Benin Football Federation dissolved the national team, coach Henri Dussuyer and his complete staff were fired.[3] On May 9, 2016, Benin was suspended from FIFA, The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Benin
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Les Écureuils
(The Squirrels)
AssociationBenin Football Federation
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationWAFU (West Africa)
Head coachMichel Dussuyer
CaptainStéphane Sessègnon
Most capsStéphane Sessègnon (83)
Top scorerStéphane Sessègnon (24)
Home stadiumStade de l'Amitié
FIFA codeBEN
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 83 Steady (27 November 2020)[1]
Highest59 (November–December 2009, April 2010)
Lowest165 (July 1996)
Elo ranking
Current 89 Increase 1 (29 November 2020)[2]
Highest56 (December 1964)
Lowest165 (13 May 1995)
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
Appearances4 (first in 2004)
Best resultQuarter-finals (2019)

Competitive recordsEdit

World Cup recordEdit

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 To be determined Qualification yet to start
      2026 To be determined Qualification yet to start
Total − 0/23 − − − − − − 39 9 7 23 34 81

Africa Cup of NationsEdit

Main article: Benin at the 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 To be determined
  2023
  2025
Total Quarter-finals 4/32 14 0 5 9 7 24

Results and fixturesEdit

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

2019Edit

13 November 2019 (2019-11-13) 2021 AFCONQ Nigeria   2–1   Benin Uyo, Nigeria
17:00 UTC+1
Stadium: Godswill Akpabio International Stadium
17 November 2019 (2019-11-17) 2021 AFCONQ Benin   1–0   Sierra Leone Porto-Novo, Benin
14:00 UTC+1
Stadium: Stade Charles de Gaulle

2019 Africa Cup of NationsEdit

Main article: 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group F
Pos Team
[ ]
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Ghana 3 1 2 0 4 2 +2 5 Advance to knockout stage
2   Cameroon 3 1 2 0 2 0 +2 5
3   Benin 3 0 3 0 2 2 0 3
4   Guinea-Bissau 3 0 1 2 0 4 −4 1
Source: CAF

PlayersEdit

Current squadEdit

The following players have been called up for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Nigeria and Sierra Leone on 13 & 17 November 2019.[4]

Caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2019 after the game against Sierra Leone.[5]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Fabien Farnolle (1985-02-05) 5 February 1985 (age 35) 29 0   Malatyaspor
1GK Chérif Dine Kakpo (1997-12-01) 1 December 1997 (age 23) 2 0   Buffles
1GK Marcel Dandjinou (1998-06-25) 25 June 1998 (age 22) 0 0   ESAE
2DF David Kiki (1993-11-25) 25 November 1993 (age 27) 25 0   Montana
2DF Olivier Verdon (1995-10-05) 5 October 1995 (age 25) 20 0   Ludogorets Razgrad
2DF Emmanuel Imorou (1988-09-16) 16 September 1988 (age 32) 19 0   Thonon Evian FC
2DF Nabil Yarou (1993-06-16) 16 June 1993 (age 27) 13 1   Buffles
2DF Cédric Hountondji (1994-01-19) 19 January 1994 (age 26) 10 0   Clermont
2DF Jean Ogounchi (1996-11-23) 23 November 1996 (age 24) 7 0   Tonnerre
2DF Youssouf Assogba (2001-08-21) 21 August 2001 (age 19) 5 0   USS Kraké
2DF Melvyn Doremus (1996-10-26) 26 October 1996 (age 24) 0 0   AF Bobigny
3MF Stéphane Sessègnon (Captain) (1984-06-01) 1 June 1984 (age 36) 83 24   Gençlerbirliği
3MF Jordan Adéoti (1989-03-12) 12 March 1989 (age 31) 34 0   Auxerre
3MF Séïbou Mama (1995-12-28) 28 December 1995 (age 24) 31 2   Toulon
3MF Sessi D'Almeida (1995-11-20) 20 November 1995 (age 25) 15 1   Valenciennes
3MF Tidjani Anaane (1997-03-27) 27 March 1997 (age 23) 4 0   Slimane
3MF Jérôme Bonou (1994-01-27) 27 January 1994 (age 26) 4 0   Djoliba
4FW Mickaël Poté (Vice-captain) (1984-09-24) 24 September 1984 (age 36) 58 10   Büyükşehir Belediye Erzurumspor
4FW Jodel Dossou (1992-03-17) 17 March 1992 (age 28) 35 4   Clermont Foot
4FW Steve Mounié (1994-09-29) 29 September 1994 (age 26) 25 7   Brest
4FW Marcellin Koukpo (1995-04-06) 6 April 1995 (age 25) 12 2   Hammam Lif
4FW Cebio Soukou (1992-10-02) 2 October 1992 (age 28) 11 0   Arminia Bielefeld
4FW Yannick Aguemon (1992-02-11) 11 February 1992 (age 28) 3 0   OH Leuven

Recent call-upsEdit

The following players have been called up for Benin in the last 12 months.[6]

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up

DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player has retired from international football.
SUS Suspended from the national team.
WD Withdrew from squad.

RecordsEdit

As of 17 November 2019
Players in bold text are still active with Benin.

List of Benin managersEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 29 November 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  3. ^ Benin löst Nationalelf auf
  4. ^ "Elim CAN 2021: La liste de Dussuyer avec des surprises" (in French). Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Benin team of 2019". national-football-teams.com. National Football Teams.
  6. ^ "Bénin – Zambie : Trois joueurs appelés en remplacement des blessés avec Désiré Sègbè Azankpo!" (in French). Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  7. ^ a b Mamrud, Roberto. "Benin – Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 November 2017.

External linksEdit

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