Nickname: The Squirrels Coach: Cecil Jones Attuquayefio Captain: Oumar Tchomogo Cup record: First appearance

Benin at the African Cup of Nations? Where did they come from?

The Squirrels clearly punched above their weight to qualify for their first ever finals ahead of Zambia.

Unfortunately for them, they drew the short straw in being pitted against three African superpowers - South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria - in the group stages.

The inevitable temptation is to write Benin off, but their very presence in Tunisia indicates the folly of underestimating the so-called minnows.

Although the Squirrels will be competitive, as painless an exit as possible must surely be the limit of any realistic ambition.

Coach

Much of the credit for the upsurge in Benin's fortunes has to go to Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, who took charge of the Squirrels after being discarded by Ghana's Black Stars.

Cecil Jones Attuquayefio has turned Benin's fortunes around

Attuquayefio and Nigeria's Christian Chukwu are seeking to join the Egyptian Mahmoud Al Gohari as the only men to have won the Nations Cup both as a player and coach.

A member of Ghana's winning side of 1965 when Tunisia first hosted the tournament, Attuquayefio returns to the North African country with fond memories.

His impressive coaching record includes an African Champions League title with Ghana's Hearts of Oak in 2000.

Key players

France-based Oumar Tchomogo is a lively player who likes to run at defences from midfield. A constant threat to any side, he is not an easy man to stop when in full flow.

And at only 24, there is plenty of reason for the Squirrels to be optimistic about Tchomogo's future.

Laurent D'Jaffo has an extra reason to succeed at the Cup of Nations - he needs to find a new club after being released by Scottish side Aberdeen. The 33-year-old striker has not played for the team at all this season.

Moussa Latoundji's trickery will be crucial

Moussa Latoundji of German side Energie Cottbus has a good football brain and an excellent work-rate. One player does not make a team, but his influence on this side cannot be understated.

Verdict

If only we could be more optimistic about Benin's chances. They may have been one of the fairytales of the qualifying campaign, but reality will surely hit them hard in Tunisia.

They will have little in mind beyond damage limitation and even that is a big ask. There is a real fear that they may end up looking like rabbits caught in the headlights after three cricket-score defeats.