Football in Benin
| 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) | |
Association football,or soccer, is the most popular sport in Benin. Governed by theBenin Football Federation,theBenin national football team(Les Ecureuils ) joined bothFIFAandCAFin 1969 asDahomey.[1][2]Dahomey becameBeninin 1975.
Les Ecureuils[edit]
Les Ecureuils (The Squirrels, as the national squad is nicknamed) have never qualified for theWorld Cupand made their only appearance in theAfrican Cup of Nationsin2004.[3][4]They enjoyed their highest world ranking as of September 2007 with a rank of 79th in the world. The home stadium isStade de l'Amitiéin Cotonou. In the 2010s, the national team nickname was changed to the Cheetahs.[5]
Notable Beninese footballers[edit]
Football stadiums in Benin[edit]
TheStade de l'Amitiéis 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 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"Benin: with voodoo on our side - Balls to Africa".FourFourTwo. 2010-06-07. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-08-05.Retrieved2013-08-15.
- ^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.ISBN9781598846669.Retrieved22 November2016– via Google Books.
- ^"Benin's nickname change from Squirrels to Cheetahs awaits approval".The Star.
- ^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.Retrieved21 May2023.
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