Benin Re-appoints Michel Dussuyer as Coach

The Benin Football Federation (FBF) has re-appointed Michel Dussuyer as the coach of The Squirrels.

The 59-year-old Dussuyer has agreed to sign a two-year-deal with the option to extend the contract and will put the pen on paper following his arrival in country this week, Cotonou-based portal Benin Foot reports.

The Frenchman’s appointment came after competing with other names such as François Zawoui, Patrice Neveu and Alain Giresse.

He replaces former international Oumar Tchomogo whose contract expired in December last year and the federation, through the advice of Minister of Sports, decided not to renew it.

Dussuyer returns to the Squirrels fold for the first time since 2010 when he was sacked due to the national team’s poor showing at that year’s African Cup of Nations.

The former goalkeeper has considerable experience of the African game, having managed Guinea-Conakry (on three occasions) with his most recent job being in charge of the Ivory Coast national team.

His finest achievements arguably came in taking the Syli Nationale to the quarter-finals of the Nations Cup in 2004 and 2015.

Dussuyer’s first competitive game will be in September away to neighbours Togo and the main task will be to lead Benin to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Benin began their 2019 campaign with a comfortable 1-0 win over visiting Gambia and will fancy qualifying for Cameroon with Algeria the other team in Group D.

The Squirrels have only made three appearances at the Nations Cup tournament in 2004, 2008 and 2010 but the West Africans have failed to qualify for the last four tournaments.