Benin national football team

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 again 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 yet again Nigeria. They also scored only once through Razak Omotoyossi in the 4–1 defeat to the Ivory Coast.

In 2010, 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.

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 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 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. 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, 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, with a shock win over tournament favourites Morocco on penalties.

Kit history

Kit manufacturer

Results and fixtures

Main article: Benin national football team results (2020–present)

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

2025

• Munetsi
• Musona
• Mounié
• Dokou Report (CAF)
• Foster
• Adams Report (CAF)
• El Kaabi
• Mounié
• Mounié
• Hountondji
• Imourane
• Olaitan
• Aiyegun
• Osimhen
• Onyeka
• Minoungou
• Simpore
• H. Diallo
• Koulibaly
• C. Ndiaye

2026

• Y. Ibrahim
• M. Salah

Coaching staff

Coaching history

• France Serge Devèze
• Benin Wabi Gomez
• Germany Peter Schnittger (1992)
• Benin Moise Ekoue (1993)
• Ghana Cecil Jones Attuquayefio (2003–2004)
• France Hervé Revelli (2004)
• Benin Edmé Codjo (2005–2007)
• France Didier Notheaux (2007)
• Germany Reinhard Fabisch (2007–2008)
• France Michel Dussuyer (2008–2010)
• France Jean-Marc Nobilo (2010)
• France Denis Goavec (2010–2011)
• Benin Edmé Codjo (2011–2012)
• France Manuel Amoros (2012–2014)
• France Didier Ollé-Nicolle (2014)
• Benin Oumar Tchomogo (2015–2017)
• France Michel Dussuyer (2018–2021)
• Benin Moussa Latoundji (2022–2023)
• Germany Gernot Rohr (2023–present)

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the preliminary squad of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Caps and goals correct as of 14 October 2025, after the match against Nigeria.

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection. ;Notes

• PRE = Preliminary squad/standby.

Player records

!W !D* !L !GF !GA !Pld !W !D !L !GF !GA |-

Africa Cup of Nations

Main article: Benin at the Africa Cup of Nations

West African Nations Cup

WAFU Nations Cup

Honours

Regional

• UEMOA Tournament
  • Runners-up (1): 2013

References

References

1. "Fifa back detained Benin FA boss Anjorin Moucharaf".
2. (9 February 2010). "Benin löst Nationalelf auf". Der Spiegel.
3. "Bénin: Les Ecureuils et Michel DUSSUYER sanctionnés". Fédération Béninoise de Football.
4. (9 February 2010). "Benin coach Michel Dussuyer 'unaware' of sacking". BBC Sport.
5. (3 December 2025). "Benin name 30-man provisional squad for TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2025". cafonline.fr.
6. Mamrud, Roberto. "Benin – Record International Players".