The Benin national football team (

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: Équipe nationale de Football du Bénin), nicknamed ''Les Guépards (The Cheetahs)'', represents

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

in men's international

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

and are controlled by the

Benin Football Federation The Benin Football Federation () is the governing body of association football in Benin. It was founded in 1960, affiliated to CAF in 1962 and to FIFA in 1964. It organizes the national football leagues, including the Benin Premier League, and ...

. They were known as Dahomey until 1975, when the

Republic of Dahomey The Republic of Dahomey (; ), simply known as Dahomey (), was established on 4 December 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Prior to attaining autonomy, it had been French Dahomey, part of the French Union. On 1 Augu ...

became Benin. Benin have been affiliated with

FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...

since 1962 and are a member of the

Confederation of African Football The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the administrative and controlling body for association football, beach soccer, and futsal in Africa. It was established on 8 February 1957 at the ''Grand Hotel'' in Khartoum, Sudan. At the FIFA Co ...

since 1969. They have never qualified for the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

, but have participated at four Africa Cups of Nations in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

and

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, never placing in the top two in the group stage at all of these occasions. However, Benin has a unique record as the country is the first national team to reach the quarter-finals of an AFCON edition without gaining a single win in their AFCON history.

History

Benin hosted its first official international match on 8 November 1959, a 1–0 loss to

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of 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 The 2004 African Cup of Nations was held from January 24, 24 January to February 14, 14 February 2004 in Tunisia. It was the 24th edition of the biennial international men's football championship of Africa, organized by the Confederation of Afri ...

, their first AFCON in history. However, they lost all three matches to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

and again Nigeria. Benin's only goal was scored by

Moussa Latoundji Moussa Latoundji (born 13 August 1978) is a Beninese former football player and current assistant manager side Benin national football team. Club career Born in Porto-Novo, Latoudji started his career in his native Benin with amateur side Dra ...

against Nigeria. History repeated itself again in

, when Benin lost to

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

, the

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...

and yet again Nigeria. They also scored only once through

Razak Omotoyossi Razak Omotoyossi (born 8 October 1985) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in Nigeria, he appeared for the Benin national team at international level. He played in Nigeria, Egypt, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and France f ...

in the 4–1 defeat to the Ivory Coast. In 2010, the

's president

Anjorin Moucharaf Ańjọrìn is a male-given Yoruba name commonly used as a surname in Nigeria. It means "We walk together.". Notable individuals with the name * Liz Anjorin, Nigerian actress. * Moucharafou Anjorin, president of the Benin Football Federation ...

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. In the

2010 World Cup qualifiers Qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation – the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oc ...

, Benin topped their group in the second round. They started with a defeat to

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

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 Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

. Despite not qualifying for the

2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...

, Benin's second-place finish ensured their qualification to the

2010 Africa Cup of Nations The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was held in Angola, where it began on 10 January 2 ...

, where they drew against

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

to receive their first ever point at the AFCON. The Squirrels then lost their other two matches against Nigeria and defending champions

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

to finish third in their group and fail to progress to the next round. After this performance, on 8 February 2010, the BFF, 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. Dussuyer was unaware that he had been sacked and claimed that he had not done anything wrong. 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 Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to former military head of state General Muhammadu Buhari and ...

after the

. In the second round of the

2014 World Cup qualifiers The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. The 2014 FIFA World Cup featured 32 teams, with one place reserved for the host nation, Brazil. The remaining 31 places were determined by ...

, Benin were placed in Group H with

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

and

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

. They 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 The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (abbreviated as AFCON 2019 or CAN 2019), known as the Total SE, Total 2019 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 32nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men's associati ...

, despite advancing only as the third-best third-placed team, Benin reunited with Dussuyer, reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual runners-up

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

, with a shock win over tournament favourites

on penalties.

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last twelve months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

2024

2025

Coaching staff

Coaching history

Serge Devèze Serge Devèze (25 September 1956 – 17 December 2015) was a French association football manager, active primarily in Africa with the national teams of Guinea, Gabon and Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Afr ...

* Wabi Gomez * Peter Schnittger (1992) * Moise Ekoue (1993) * Cecil Jones Attuquayefio (2003–2004) *

Hervé Revelli Hervé Revelli (born 5 May 1946) is a French former footballer who played as a forward. Career Revelli scored 31 Ligue 1 goals during the calendar year of 1969. Fifty years later in 2019, Kylian Mbappé became the first French player to score ...

(2004) *

Edmé Codjo Edmé Codjo was a Beninese manager of the Benin national football team from August 2011 to January 2012. Career He had previously been in charge of the national team during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 8 (eight) is the ...

(2005–2007) *

Didier Notheaux Didier Notheaux (4 February 1948 – 18 August 2021) was a French Football (soccer), football player and coach. Prior to his coaching career, he played mainly for FC Rouen, RC Lens and Stade Rennais F.C., Rennes. He then coached numerous Frenc ...

(2007) *

Reinhard Fabisch Reinhard Fabisch (19 August 1950 – 12 July 2008) was a German football manager and player. He coached teams in Qatar, Malta, Tunisia, Nepal, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe and the national teams of Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Benin. Playi ...

(2007–2008) * Michel Dussuyer (2008–2010) * Jean-Marc Nobilo (2010) * Denis Goavec (2010–2011) *

(2011–2012) *

Manuel Amoros Manuel Amoros (born 1 February 1962) is a French former professional Association football, footballer who played as a right-back. He was capped 82 times for France national football team, France, and played in the UEFA European Championships fi ...

(2012–2014) *

Didier Ollé-Nicolle Didier Ollé-Nicolle (born 2 September 1961) is a French football manager and former player who played as a defender. He most recently managed Division 1 Féminine side Paris Saint-Germain Féminine. Club career Ollé-Nicolle was born in Be ...

(2014) * Oumar Tchomogo (2015–2017) * Michel Dussuyer (2018–2021) *

(2022–2023) *

Gernot Rohr Gernot Rohr (born 28 June 1953) is a German professional football coach and former player who is currently the manager of the Benin national team. Managerial career In 1996, he managed Girondins de Bordeaux to the UEFA Cup final, where they l ...

(2023–present)

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will decide the 45 teams that will join hosts Canada men's national soccer team, Canada, Mexico national football team, Mexico, and the United States men's national soccer team, United States at the 2026 FIFA ...

matches against

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

and

on 20 and 25 March 2025. ''Caps and goals correct as of 20 March, after the match against

.''

Recent call-ups

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

Player records

:''Players in bold are still active with Benin.''

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

Africa Cup of Nations

West African Nations Cup

WAFU Nations Cup

Honours

Regional

UEMOA Tournament The UEMOA Tournament is a football (soccer) tournament held between nations who are a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). The tournament was first played in 2007 2007 was designated as the International Helioph ...

** Runners-up (1): 2013

References

External links

Football au Bénin

Benin
at

CAF CAF or caf may refer to: Armed forces *Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Forces), the Canadian Air Force, Army, and Navy *Canadian Air Force, now the Royal Canadian Air Force *Republic of China Air Force, the air force of the Republic of China (Tai ...

Benin
at

Le miroir du football béninois!
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benin National Football Team African national association football teams