Football in Benin
| Football in Benin | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Benin Football Federation |
| National team | 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. Approximately 40% of the people in Benin are interested in football.[1]
Governed by the Benin Football Federation, the Benin national football team (Les Ecureuils ) joined both FIFA and CAF in 1969 as Dahomey.[2][3] Dahomey became Benin in 1975.
Les Ecureuils
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.[4][5] 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. On August 22nd 2022, the national team nickname was changed to the Cheetahs.[6]
Notable Beninese footballers
Football stadiums in Benin
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 |
Attendances
The average attendance per top-flight football league season and the club with the highest average attendance:
| Season | League average | Best club | Best club average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 350 | Coton | 843 |
Source: League page on Wikipedia
See also
References
- ^ https://countrycassette.com/rankings-sports-football-fans-by-country/
- ^ "Benin: with voodoo on our side - Balls to Africa". FourFourTwo. 2010-06-07. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ 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.
- ^ "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. Retrieved 21 May 2023.