Goalkeeper 2019
Matchprepared Fabien Farnolle 10.07.2019 SEN 🇸🇳 : BEN 🇧🇯 1-0 (AFCON 2019)
Manufacturer: unbranded
Source: Salif Sané's personal collection
THE TEAM
The Lions, the Panthers, the Elephants, the Crocodiles, the Eagles, the Stallions, the Fennecs, the Leopard, the ferocious Zombie-Hyenas from Hell…. this is a small selection of the intimidating nicknames of Africa’s national teams (well, the latter maybe not so much).
Benin also decided to come up with their own moniker: The Squirrels!?
It is beyond me, why someone would choose such a tame name, when there is a plethora of dangerous local animals to choose from!
Unfortunately, the Beninese football association has now also noticed this and renamed its national team “Les Guépards” (The Cheetahs).
Unfortunately, the name change has not led to more successful football: since then, Benin's national team has not been able to qualify for the Africa Cup.
The last time was in 2019, where they surprisingly made it to the quarter-finals, eventually losing 1-0 to Senegal.
THE SHIRT
It was precisely this game from which this jersey originates. After losing the quarter-final, substitute goalkeeper Fabien Farnolle – who was still in goal for the first two games of the tournament – swapped it with Senegalese defender Salif Sané, from whose collection this jersey comes.
Based on an unbranded black shirt with neon red stripes, the jersey consists largely of federation badges, which have been ironed onto the left and right chest as well as the bottom of the jersey, making the word “squirrel” appear three times on the jersey!
Coincidentally, this is the second Benin jersey I have received within a week! Due to its rarity a quirkiness an absolute highlight of my AFCON collection.
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