Mambas Noirs FC are a Beninese football club based in Cotonou. Founded in 1992,[1] the club played in the Benin Premier League for several years in the 2000s and in 2017, and were relegated to the third division in 2019.

Mambas Noirs FC
Full nameMambas Noirs Football Club
Founded1992
GroundStade Gbegamey, Cotonou, Benin
Capacity5000
ManagerYussif Haruna
LeagueBenin Premier League

History

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The club was founded as Donjo FC in 1992 and changed their name to Mambas Noirs in 2005.[2] Mambas Noirs played in the Beninese top division from 2003 to 2011.

The club qualified for the 2005 CAF Champions League as Donjo FC. The 2004 season was abandoned in part due to stadium renovations in Cotonou, and Donjo were selected by the federation to represent the country in the Champions League even though they did not win the 2004 title.[3] Donjo lost in the preliminary round to RC Bafoussam of Cameroon.[3]

Mambas were expelled from the Benin Premier League as being one of a dozen teams who did not finish the 2010 season, when they were excluded from the transitional championship and administratively relegated to the third division along with three other teams.[4][5]

They were not readmitted to the competition in 2014.[6]

The club returned to the top division in 2017 under manager Emile Enassouan.[7]

They were relegated from the Ligue 2 to the third division in 2019.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Benin - List of Foundation Dates". RSSSF.
  2. ^ "Benin 2005". RSSSF.
  3. ^ a b Boungou, Frederic (4 February 2005). "Cameroun: Racing 1 - Donjo Fc 0 : une victoire au goût de défaite" (in French).
  4. ^ "Benin 2010/11". rsssf.com.
  5. ^ "Requins, Mambas Noirs, Cifas fc et Dynamo d'Abomey relégués en D3 ?" (in French). BJ Foot. 4 December 2011.
  6. ^ Houeto, Marcel (21 October 2014). "Les clubs dissidents rejettent la proposition du président de la Fbf" (in French). 24 Heures Benin.
  7. ^ "Journal des Transferts : Farnolle en Turquie, Adeoti reste en France, Mambas Noirs tient son coach, un ex-Ecureuil sur le banc d'Avrankou et Fribourg sur Mounié" (in French). BJ Foot. 16 June 2017.
  8. ^ "Ligue 2 : Dynamo champion , le Real suit en Ligue 1 , la ville de Parakou plie le championnat" (in French). 14 June 2019.