كتب : Hatem Maher
Benin's only previous big tournament experience was in the 2004 edition in Tunisia and, unsurprisingly, they were knocked out of the first round.
The Squirrels, with almost no experience in top events, were drawn in a very tough Group B along with giants Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Mali that is being dubbed the "Group of Death".
Benin, who along with Namibia, are considered the tournament's outsiders, have gone a long way in the past two years. In their 2006 World Cup qualifying group, Benin finished last with a dismal record of 1 win, two draws and seven defeats.
However, they managed to turn things around in the CAN qualifying campaign, improving their record to three wins, two draws and one defeat to qualify as runners-up behind Mali and ahead of a much favored Togo.
In the qualifiers, the Squirrels proved they have an appetite for goals as they managed 10 goals and conceded only four.
Their strong frontline consists of veteran striker Tchomogo and goal-machine Razak Omotoyossi who is doing very well for Swedish side Helsingborg.
It doesn't seem plausible that Benin make it to the second round, but a single draw or even victory for the minnows could determine who does.
Coach: Reinhard Fabisch (German)
Fabisch took over from national coach Wabi Gomez in December 2007, a month before CAN kicks off in Ghana.
The German became popular in Africa when he coached Zimbabwe in the early 1990s, barely missing out on a place at the 1994 World Cup finals.
Fabisch, who also coached Kenya on two separate occasions, opted to take over the Squirrels who will be facing a tough challenge at the Ghana finals. His last coaching job was with UAE club Emirates.
Star Player: Razak Omotoyossi
Omotoyossi is the only player who can make the difference for Benin in the CAN 2008 finals.
The 22-year-old ace began his European experience with Moldovan club FC Sheriff, where he heavily impressed.
Omotoyossi joined Swedish side Helsingborg in 2006 and he quickly settled in.
When he arrived in the Scandinavian country, little was known about Omotoyossi and even less was expected. He was virtually anonymous and was expected to struggle in adjusting to the physical demands, weather and culture.
But his skeptics were far from wrong as he finished last season's Allsvenskan (Swedish League) as the joint top scorer with 14 goals despite Helsingborgs’ eighth-place finish.
Omotoyossi formed a lethal strike partnership with veteran Swede Henrik Larsson and have managed six goals each in the team's UEFA Cup campaign so far this season, making them joint top scorers with Bayern Munich’s Luca Toni.