The year 2023 is drawing to a close with some less than stellar results for Beninese sport on the international stage. From team sports to individual disciplines, Sport News Africa takes a look back at the season of the Cheetahs and Amazons.
Soccer disappointS again
Benin fans have gone through the wringer over the past year at Beninese team matches. In March 2023, Gernot Rohr took charge of the national team. The Franco-German coach, who has promoted the rejuvenation and reconstruction of the team, proclaimed his objective of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup during his presentation to the press. However, Benin now seem to be in a bad way in these qualifiers, having lost their first match against South Africa (2-1) before drawing with Lesotho (0-0). The picture is bleak for the team, who have played 8 matches, drawing 5 and losing 3 this year. The Cheetahs failed to qualify for the AFCON 2023 in Côte d'Ivoire and will miss the competition for the second consecutive time since their last appearance in Egypt in 2019.
In turn, the other national team categories were eliminated from the competitions in which they took part. Only the U20 national team and the school teams soothed the nerves of the fans. The U20 national team reached the quarter-finals of the AFCON in Egypt. Mathias Déguenon's team finished 3rd and 4th respectively at the UFOA-B tournament and the Jeux de la Francophonie. The CEG Sainte Rita school team reached the semi-finals of the first edition of the African School Football Cup Durban 2023. Séverin Danh's players reached the quarter-finals of the Morocco 2023 School World Cup.
A mixed year for Beninese basketball
The senior teams have made their return to the international scene since Abidjan 2017. The women's team finished 6th at the Jeux de la Francophonie in Kinshasa. The men's team finished 3rd at the Afrocan Zone 3 qualifiers in Abidjan.Benin's representatives in club competitions fared no better. Two-time defending champions Elan Coton were eliminated in the first round, Road To BAL 2024.For its participation in the first edition of the Africa Women's Basketball League Egypt 2023, ASPAC failed to win a single game in five outings.
The U23 3x3 national team took part in the World Cup in Lublin.
Fadil Allassane and his teammates came 17th out of 19 participating nations thanks to their single victory over hosts Poland. The U17 and senior men's and women's 3x3 teams were disappointing at the recent African Cup. In Cairo, the men failed to secure a qualifying place in the pre-qualifying tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Handball comes back to life
As in basketball, the discipline has seen the return of the various national teams to international competitions. The results have not been encouraging. Adjidja HBC, Benin's representative at the 44th African Championship of Champion Clubs in Handball, finished 6th at the end of the competition, having gone through the first round unbeaten with three wins.
Mixed results in volleyball
In their first-ever participation in the U21 Zone 3 Volleyball Nations Cup, the men's and women's U21 national volleyball teams won bronze medals in Niamey. Benin took part in the 11th edition of the Zone 3 Volleyball Champion Clubs Cup. Benin's representatives, Energie, Finance and Allada, came last in the standings, while Queen's VBC finished 5th out of 6.
In badminton, Benin won two silver medals at the African Beach Games in Hammamet, Tunisia. The parabadminton team won four medals, including one gold, two silver and one bronze, at the African Championships in Kampala.
In karate, Benin's performance at the regional Opens was rather impressive. The country's representatives finished far from the podium at both the African and World Championships in Budapest. Beninese inline skaters failed to win a medal at the World Running Championships in Vicenza, Italy. Rawdath Demba Diallo, the most eagerly-awaited athlete and four-time African champion, had to endure the experience of top-level competition.
Reigning African champion in tchoukball, Benin was conspicuous by its absence from the World Championships held in Prague due to a lack of funding for the team's travel after Malaysia 2019.
Petanque saves the day
Benin was at the crossroads of the 50th World Petanque Championships held from September 8 to 17, 2023. The Guépards boulistes won three medals, including one gold and two silver. The Marcel Gbetable - Laïmath Sambo duo were crowned mixed doubles champions.
This was followed by the 10th edition of the African Maracana Cup, held in Grand-Popo from September 26 to 30. Benin was an unfortunate finalist in the senior category. In athletics, Noélie Yarigo made her mark in 2023. The Guéparde de la Pendjari will be consistent in under 2 minutes in the 800 m at least eight times. Semi-finalist at the World Championships in Budapest, the AJ Blois-Onzain member set the Benin and French indoor record of 1'58''48 on February 8, 2023 in Torun.
