Football_in_Benin
Association football, or soccer, is the most popular sport in Benin. Governed by the Benin Football Federation, the Benin national football team (Les Ecureuils ) joined both FIFA and CAF in 1969 as Dahomey.[1][2] Dahomey became Benin in 1975.
| Football in Benin | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Benin Football Federation |
| National team(s) | national football team |
Club competitions | |
International competitions | |
Champions League CAF Confederation Cup Super Cup FIFA Club World Cup FIFA World Cup(National Team) African Cup of Nations(National Team) | |
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Les Ecureuils (The Squirrels, as the national squad is nicknamed) have never qualified for the World Cup and made their only appearance in the African Cup of Nations in 2004.[3][4] They enjoyed their highest world ranking as of September 2007 with a rank of 79th in the world. The home stadium is Stade de l'Amitié in Cotonou. In the 2010s, the national team nickname was changed to the Cheetahs.[5]
The Stade de l'Amitié is currently the largest stadium by capacity in Benin. It is used by the national football team of Benin.
| # | Stadium | City | Capacity | Tenants | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stade de l'Amitié | Cotonou | 20,000 | Benin national football team | |
| 2 | Stade Charles de Gaulle | Porto-Novo | 15,000 | AS Dragons FC de l'Ouémé | |
| 3 | Stade René Pleven d'Akpakpa | Cotonou | 15,000 | Requins de l'Atlantique FC |
- "Benin: with voodoo on our side - Balls to Africa". FourFourTwo. 2010-06-07. Archived from the original on 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
- Ph.D, Toyin Falola; Jean-Jacques, Daniel (14 December 2015). Africa: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598846669. Retrieved 22 November 2016 – via Google Books.
- Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "Benin enjoying historic moment among big guns". CAFOnline.com.
- "No more Squirrels: Benin football team change their nickname to Cheetahs". The Guardian. August 22, 2022.
- "Stéphane Sessègnon back with the cheetahs and raring to go". FIFA. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
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