Benin team news
Gernot Rohr named 25 Benin players for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers and the friendly against Argentina. Steve Mounié is not in that squad. The Buenos Aires teamsheet is still to be confirmed. The match is on Tuesday 6 October 2026 at the Más Monumental, kick-off 20:00 (23:00 UTC).
| Coach | Gernot Rohr |
|---|---|
| Squad for this window | 25 players, provisional for the friendly XI |
| Latest competitive XI | 4-2-3-1 against Mauritania, 29 September |
| Captain for Argentina | To be confirmed. Sessi D’Almeida has worn it in the qualifiers |
| Nickname | The Cheetahs |
The 25 Rohr called
The list covers Burkina Faso on 25 September, Mauritania on 29 September, and the trip to Argentina. It is a window squad, not a promise that all 25 start, or even that all 25 board the flight. Shirt numbers for the Monumental have not been published.
Goalkeepers: Marcel Dandjinou, Saturnin Allagbé, Serge Obassa. Defenders: Yohan Roche, Mohamed Tijani, Charlemagne Azongnitodé, Tamimou Ouorou, Amiro Amadou, Iréné Glélé, Rachid Moumini, Liam Omore. Midfielders: Sessi D’Almeida, Junior Olaitan, Hassane Imourane, Dodo Dokou, Mattéo Ahlinvi, Samadou Attidjikou. Forwards: Tosin Aiyegun, Yamirou Ouorou, Rodolfo Aloko, Olatoundji Tessilimi, Joseph Ede Oloko, Jodel Dossou, Sahid Ngobi, Junior Olugbade. Oloko’s call-up is his first.
Who is not in it
Steve Mounié is the forward many people still attach to Benin, and older profiles list him as captain. He was not named in this 25. Stéphane Sessègnon, Benin’s record cap holder and record scorer, is not part of this squad either. Treat any graphic that starts the team with Mounié as out of date for this trip.
The shape Rohr just used
Against Mauritania on 29 September, Rohr kept the same 4-2-3-1 he used in the 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso four days earlier. Marcel Dandjinou started in goal. Yohan Roche and Mohamed Tijani were the centre-backs, Charlemagne Azongnitodé was on the right, Tamimou Ouorou on the left. Sessi D’Almeida and Hassane Imourane sat in midfield. Junior Olaitan, Yamirou Ouorou and Rodolfo Aloko supported Tosin Aiyegun, who had scored against Burkina Faso. Benin won 2-1. That XI is the best current clue. It is still not the Argentina teamsheet. A coach can change a side after two qualifiers and a long flight to Buenos Aires.
Form coming into the trip
The last five completed matches are wins over Liberia (1-0) and Guinea (1-0) in March, a 1-5 loss to Togo in June, the 1-1 in Ouagadougou, and the 2-1 against Mauritania. On the 20 July 2026 FIFA list the Cheetahs were 93rd, with 1252.17 points. A live table may have nudged them after these qualifiers. The next official list is 7 October, so 93rd stays the number until then. Benin did not reach the 2026 World Cup.
Their usual home is the Stade de l’Amitié in Cotonou. This game is the opposite of a home night: a first-ever meeting with Argentina, in a full Monumental, on the night Lionel Messi says goodbye. No Benin player has a senior memory of this opponent. Rohr has not said whether he will sit deep or try to play. Both are still possible.
Why the qualifiers matter to the friendly
The Argentina trip is not Benin’s first job of the window. They opened AFCON 2027 qualifying with a 1-1 draw away to Burkina Faso, then beat Mauritania 2-1 at home. Rohr’s side needed the win to stay in touch at the top of the group, and they got it. Tosin Aiyegun, who plays his club football at Lorient, scored against Burkina Faso and started again against Mauritania. Junior Olaitan, at Beşiktaş, and Sessi D’Almeida, at Neftçi, were in that same side. D’Almeida has captained the qualifier matches. The armband in Buenos Aires is still to be confirmed.
The turnaround is short. Mauritania was 29 September. Buenos Aires is 6 October, with a long flight in between and no spare competitive game to hide in. Rohr can keep the 4-2-3-1 or he can rest the players who have just played twice. Yohan Roche, Mohamed Tijani, Tamimou Ouorou and Charlemagne Azongnitodé are the defenders he trusted in both qualifiers. Saturnin Allagbé is in the squad and did not start those two. None of this is the teamsheet Scaloni will be handed an hour before kick-off.
Conclusion
Benin team news for this fixture is the 25-man list, Rohr in charge, Dandjinou as the keeper he trusted last, and D’Almeida as the midfielder who has captained the qualifiers. The eleven for 6 October is the part that is still to be confirmed.
Questions people ask
Who is in the Benin squad for Argentina?
Rohr named 25 players for the AFCON qualifiers and this friendly. The starting XI in Buenos Aires is still to be confirmed.
Who coaches Benin?
Gernot Rohr. He has been in the job since 2023 and picked the side for both September qualifiers.
Is Steve Mounié in the squad?
No. He was not in the 25 for this window, so he is not in the Argentina plans unless a later list adds him.
What formation did Benin use against Mauritania?
A 4-2-3-1, with Dandjinou in goal and Aiyegun up front. That was 29 September, not the Argentina teamsheet.
All of our farewell coverage is on Argentina vs Benin.