Firm outsiders Benin are already up against it after being drawn in a formidable group.
The Squirrels face giants Nigeria and holders Egypt in Group C
Benin are one of the little-known teams in the African Nations Cup and have been drawn in a formidable group.
Playing in just their third AFCON Benin must face holders Egypt, Nigeria and Mozambique in Group C, leaving them with limited chances of making the knockout stages.
Benin are currently ranked 67th in the FIFA World Rankings as of October 2009, their highest-ever position.
The Squirrels boast a very modest record when it comes to international competitions, having never qualified for a World Cup and suffering first round elimination in both of their previous African Nations Cup appearances.
Benin's road to qualification kicked off with a 1-0 defeat in Ghana in the final qualifying phase. A 1-0 home win over Sudan in their next match put them back on track before a 3-1 away loss to Mali dented their hopes again. A disappointing 1-1 home draw with Mali in the return fixture didn't help either, but crucial victories over Ghana, 1-0 at home, and Sudan, 2-1 away, sealed their place at AFCON 2010.
One to watch: Razak Omotoyossi
Omotoyossi is the man to watch for Benin. The 24-year-old striker has scored 14 goals in 28 appearances for his country, boasting an excellent strike rate of one goal in every two games.
Omotoyossi started his club career at FC Sheriff in Moldova, where he scored 9 goals in three years. But a move to Sweden's Helsingborg followed, where he came into his own and netted 16 goals in his only season there.
Saudi Arabian club Al Nasr came calling at the start of the 2008/09 campaign but he only played nine games last season, resulting in a transfer to French Ligue 2 side Metz, where he currently plies his trade.
Coach: Michel Dussuyer
Dussuyer was appointed head coach of Benin in June 2008. The 50-year-old learnt his trade during a stint as an assistant manager at French club Cannes between 1996 and 2002, before he took up the position of manager of the Guinea national team.
In 2006, he became Henri Michel's number two, working for the successful Ivory Coast national team before returning to Cannes as manager for the 2006/07 season. As a player, Dussuyer was a goalkeeper at Cannes before donning the colours of Nice and Olympique Ales. He finished his playing career back at his beloved Cannes.
