Athletics team
Benin U23
Club · Benin · CAF U23 Cup of Nations
«The Squirrels»
In 2011, when the Confederation of African Football set qualifying for the London Olympics, Benin fielded an under-23 side against South Africa and Gambia — the team's first recorded appearances on record. There was no club to found and no anniversary to mark: the side exists only when an Olympic qualifying window opens, assembled by the Benin Football Federation.
That pattern has held since. The Squirrels have entered qualifying for the Africa U23 Cup of Nations in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, and for the Paris 2024 Olympic tournament, without reaching a single final round. The senior national team renamed itself the Leopards in 2022; the under-23s kept the older nickname, a small mismatch that leaves the age group carrying an identity the rest of the federation has moved past.
They train and play out of Cotonou, at the Stade de l'Amitié. Yellow at home, white away.
Recent qualifying campaigns have pitted Benin against Sudan, Tunisia and Mauritania at the same age level.
Latest results
Fixtures and results| 29 Sep | CAF U23 Cup of Nations |
Tunisia U23
A
|
0:2 | L |
| 30 Oct 2022 | Africa U23 Cup of Nations - Qualification |
Sudan U23
H
|
3:1 | W |
| 23 Oct 2022 | Africa U23 Cup of Nations - Qualification |
Sudan U23
A
|
0:2 | L |
Team statistics
matches counted in total: 3| Metric | Total | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Scored | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Conceded | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| Scored per game | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 |
| Conceded per game | 1.7 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| Difference | −2 | +2 | −4 |
Fixtures of Benin U23
-
5 Oct · 17:00
Tunisia U23
H
CAF U23 Cup of Nations