Khaled Adenon believes Benin’s friendly against Argentina offers a valuable opportunity for the country’s football to develop, although he accepts the Guepards face an enormous challenge against the world champions.
Speaking to 229foot just hours before the prestigious meeting, the former Benin captain said the circumstances behind the fixture mattered less than the experience it would provide to the national team’s players and officials.
For Adenon, facing a side of Argentina’s calibre can help Benin assess its progress and identify how much work remains to be done. He also believes the match can provide a chance to learn from one of the world’s leading football nations.
“Playing against the big nations makes the team progress,” he said, adding that such fixtures allow officials to study “the organisation of the big nations” while giving players the chance to “rub shoulders with these great players”.
The former international hopes the Guepards can produce a strong performance, and admitted he would like them to claim an unexpected victory.
“I would like them to win this match,” he said.
However, Adenon stressed that the result should not be the only measure of the occasion. He wants the Benin players to take lessons from competing against a team accustomed to football at the highest level.
The match should serve “to learn, to grow and to rub shoulders with those great players”, he said.
Adenon also called on the players involved to enjoy the occasion while maintaining the commitment they have shown in previous matches. He wants them to “take pleasure” from the experience and “give their all as usual”.
Messi adds to the occasion
The presence of Lionel Messi gives the fixture an additional significance for the Benin squad. The players will be facing one of football’s greatest figures, creating an opportunity that Adenon believes will stand out in their careers.
The quality of the opposition and the atmosphere surrounding the match should make the occasion especially difficult to replicate, he said.
Despite his hope that Benin can resist Argentina, Adenon remains realistic about the balance of power. He regards the Guepards as outsiders and does not hide the scale of the task awaiting them.
There is, nevertheless, a small possibility of a surprise. Adenon’s view is that football cannot be completely decided before the final whistle.
Whatever the score, he believes the fixture can give Benin’s players and officials an important experience of elite international football. It is through matches such as this, he argues, that they can learn, improve and understand the demands of the highest level.
Benin will shortly play their friendly against Argentina. The listed odds are 74 for a Benin victory, 45 for a draw and 1.03 for an Argentina win.