| Boxwidth: | 250 |
| Football in Benin | |
| Union: | Benin Football Federation |
| Sport: | Association football |
| Nationalteam: | national football team |
| Club List: | Benin Premier League |
| Intl List: | 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 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.
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.
An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society]
. Toyin Falola. Ph.D. Daniel. Jean-Jacques. 14 December 2015. ABC-CLIO. 9781598846669. 22 November 2016. Google Books.