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Beninese Mickaël Poté (left) facing Guinea Bissau, in the first round of CAN 2019. RFI / Pierre René-Worms

The team of Benin defies that of Morocco in the knockout stages of the CAN 2019, this July 5 in Cairo. The "Squirrels", who play for the first time the second round of an African Cup of Nations, ensure that they are not satiated and that the "Atlas Lions" do not frighten them.

From our special envoy in Cairo,

The team from Benin will have had just a few hours to enjoy its historic qualification in the second round of the African Cup of Nations. Two days after their decisive draw against the Cameroonians , the Beninese are in fact already fully turned towards their next match at the CAN 2019 , scheduled July 5 in Cairo. " Our team has the least time to recover , sighs the coach of 'Squirrels', Michel Dussuyer. We are just out of a game against Cameroon to plunge into an eighth final against Morocco. We deal with it. We are already happy to be here. It's already good .

Morocco-Benin, it is a rather rare poster. It has even happened once in the finals of the CAN (4-0 victory of Morocco in 2004). However, the two breeders do not leave on unknown ground. " This Moroccan team, I know it well, for having faced it in the recent past, when I was at the head of the Ivory Coast team. Whether at the CAN 2017 or 2018 World Cup qualifiers. I know his coach, too , recalls Michel Dussuyer, who played at AS Cannes (France) with Hervé Renard, the opposing coach. It is a team in which there is a lot of talent. He is a postulant to the final victory, which is one of the big favorites, in my opinion. It's a big challenge for us . "

" We do not intend to stop there "

Hervé Renard is praiseworthy of Michel Dussuyer: " He is like his team : rigorous, hardworking. He does not make much noise but he works very very well. Beware, distrust ! Benin managed to hang Cameroon and Ghana in a difficult group with Guinea-Bissau . Beninese are not there by chance. They are probably very happy to be here. But now, for them, there is not much left to lose. "

See also: [CAN 2019] Steve Mounié: "We wrote the story" of Beninese football

Striker Mickaël Poté is just struggling to describe the feeling that lives within 24 hours of a new big appointment for the modest football Benin. " I do not even know if there is a word to express what we feel and what we want ," he smiles. It will just try to channel it so as not to fall into euphoria or fear . The double striker against Ghana continues: " We do not stop there. Many people would not have bet on us, which we can understand. But today, I think we are in our place. And we want to continue. To believe that one says the opposite and that the contract is already filled, is bad to know us. We want to go as far as possible. "

Also read: Calendar, results and standings of the Africa Cup