U20 Women’s World Cup 2026 warm-up: Benin narrowly loses to France

The Benin U20 Amazons put in an encouraging display on Thursday in Clairefontaine despite a 3-2 defeat to France. Romaine Gandonou stood out by scoring both Beninese goals.

As preparation for the 2026 U20 Women’s World Cup continues, the Beninese team is building momentum in France. Against the Blueettes at the National Football Centre in Clairefontaine, Abdoulaye Ouzérou’s players were level with their opponents for long stretches. Benin took the lead early on. In the 11th minute, Gandonou found the net to give the Amazons the advantage. France responded before the break, however, and went into halftime with a 2-1 lead.

After the restart, the Beninese showed more determination and were rewarded in the 74th minute. Gandonou, once again, completed her brace to bring the two sides level. France ultimately had the final say, scoring the winner ten minutes from time to seal the 3-2 result. After two convincing wins against Sarcelles (7-2) and Fleury U19 (6-0), Benin will play one final warm-up match on Sunday against Paris FC U19.