In April, Benin entered their first major tournament as they took to the sand in Lomé, Togo for the first-ever CAHB African Beach Handball Championship.

And after four days in the Togo capital, they found themselves on top of the podium, having seen off both the hosts and Mali and with it, a place at Croatia 2026.

While continental powerhouse Tunisia were not present and the rapidly-developing Kenya withdrew from the competition late on, Benin were still tested, proving their quality in a tough round-robin competition, seeing off Togo via shoot-out 6:5 in the deciding match to take that world championship qualification spot.

“It is, above all, an immense feeling of national pride. Benin had the honour of winning the first edition of the CAHB Women’s African Beach Handball Championship in Lomé. This qualification rewards the efforts made over several years to develop this sport,” said President of the Benin Handball Federation (FBHB), Sidikou Karimou to fb-handball.com.

“We're going to Croatia first and foremost to learn, gain experience, and establish solid foundations for the future. The most important thing will be to leave this adventure without regrets. We must give our best, proudly represent our country, and lay solid foundations for the future.”

In Zagreb, Benin will play Denmark, Philippines and 2024 silver medallists and 2025 The World Games champions, Argentina.

And to prepare for the step into the unknown, the team, known affectionally as the ‘Amazones’ – after an all-female military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey (located in present-day Benin) – have undergone an intense preparation period.

Stage 1 took place from 6 to 10 May with the focus of ‘getting back into shape and providing a general assessment of players’, according to the Benin Handball Federation. A more demanding second stage (14 to 21 May) saw an emphasis on physical abilities specific to beach handball and technical and tactical adjustments. 

A third phase (25 May to 3 June) allowed for the integration of all team dynamics with the squad undergoing technical, tactical and physical training exercises across six days on Fidjrossè Beach, Cotonou, a large port city on the south coast of Benin, overseen by head coach Léonce Linta, assistant coach Viviane Agbédé, physical trainer Albéric Tito and goalkeeping coach Guy Kuasi.

And following the third stage, a mini-tournament for player evaluation was also held with five teams, including Benin, playing each other to decide the final squad of 10 for Croatia 2026.

The fourth and final stage (11 to 14 June) of Benin’s preparation involves the squad fine-tuning ahead of their travel to Europe, where they are set to arrive on 19 June to acclimatise.

“We are not going to Croatia for a stroll,” said captain Choukourath Imorou to ihf.info, “but to proudly defend the colours of Benin.”

Choukourath and her teammates have had support from across the west African nation, with a variety of league presidents coming together to show their support at training sessions and by donating essential items for training – all part of the excitement in the Beninese handball community about a team representing them on the global stage.

“We mustn't falter physically,” said coach Léonce Linta about the purpose of the final preparations. “From a technical and tactical point of view, we must also acknowledge that things have started to click and that the players have the ability to finish technically, with good pirouettes, kung-fu skills, and the defensive ability to run, surge forward, and effectively trap the opponent.”

But Linta will be missing three players from that continental title-winning side with their previous captain injured, scorer of the winning shoot-out shot Férima Diakité suffering a severe thumb sprain playing for her club and another out due to school exams.

“That's the nature of sport and this squad disruption has thrown us off a bit,” revealed Linta. “Despite this, the team is fit, their physical performance is excellent and they are ready to give Benin a strong showing. 

“The feedback I've received from observers confirms that this is no longer the same team [than Togo]: they are much more technically skilled and physically stronger. Their level has improved enormously. The real problem I still see is their game intelligence and a certain haste. There's still too much haste and stress. They sometimes lose their composure when the opponent suddenly changes formation

“The goal is to teach the girls to adapt immediately to the opponent's tactical changes and not to panic, but these are small details to work on,” he added.

“Despite the injuries and last-minute adjustments, our mindset remains our greatest strength. The team isn't going to the world championship just to make up the numbers. We're ready for the fight.”

Coach: Léonce Linta
Key Players: Choukourath Imorou, Marina Adjakpa, Rosine Abiala, Brikissou Abdoulaye, Aïdara Affouchata Cherif
Qualification information: 1st – CAHB Women’s African Championship
History in Tournament: 2004-2024: DNQ
Group at Croatia 2026: Group D: Argentina, Denmark, Philippines, Benin