The extraordinary victory marked a second consecutive triumph for the West African side, popularly known as the School Cheetahs, who have emerged as one of the competition’s most formidable attacking teams.
Just 24 hours after defeating Qatar 7-0 in their opening Group B fixture, Benin produced an even more emphatic display against India. Across their first two matches, they scored an astonishing 34 goals without conceding, establishing an impressive record at both ends of the pitch.
India struggled to contain Benin’s relentless attacking pressure throughout the 80-minute encounter. The African side repeatedly breached the Indian defence, with several players making substantial contributions to the extraordinary scoreline.
John Ethan Hountinmé, François Adissa and Osvaldo Sèmèvo Loko were among the standout performers, each scoring four goals. Izoudine Boukary also impressed with a hat-trick, while two own goals by Indian players further increased Benin’s advantage.
The result reflected the considerable difference between the teams on the day, with Benin maintaining control and capitalising on their attacking opportunities.
Under coach Séverin Danha, the School Cheetahs have demonstrated an impressive combination of attacking efficiency and defensive discipline. Their ability to score freely while keeping consecutive clean sheets has provided a strong foundation for their campaign.
Elsewhere in Group B, China’s second team continued its winning run with a commanding 6-0 victory over Qatar.
The Chinese side had previously defeated India ISSO-2 by 15-0 in their opening fixture, ensuring that both China and Benin collected six points from their first two matches.
Despite being level on points, Benin retained the advantage in the group standings thanks to their superior goal difference.
Danha’s side boasted an exceptional goal difference of +34, compared with China’s +21, placing Benin at the top of Group B.
With India and Qatar both remaining without points, the leading two teams had already moved beyond their rivals’ reach before the final round of group fixtures.
Under the competition’s qualification format, the top two teams from each group advance to the round of 16. Consequently, both Benin and China secured their knockout-stage places with a match to spare.
Their remaining group fixture would therefore determine the final positions at the top of the standings rather than decide which teams progressed.
For Benin, the latest success represents another encouraging chapter in their growing involvement in international school football.
The country is competing in the Under-18 School World Cup for the third consecutive time, having experienced contrasting fortunes in its previous two appearances.
Benin finished fifth in the 2023 edition, an achievement that demonstrated the potential of the country’s emerging footballers. However, their performance declined in 2024, when they finished 19th.
The experience gained from those campaigns has provided a valuable competitive background for the current squad as it seeks to improve upon previous results.
Their opening performances suggest that Benin possess the attacking capabilities to challenge opponents in the later stages of the competition, although the knockout rounds will present a different level of pressure.
The 27-goal victory over India was particularly significant because of the sheer scale of the result. Combined with their earlier seven-goal triumph over Qatar, it highlighted the scoring strength of a side that has made an emphatic start to the tournament.
Benin’s defensive record has been equally impressive. By avoiding conceding a single goal across their opening two fixtures, the School Cheetahs have demonstrated consistency in an area that could prove crucial as the competition progresses.
With qualification already secured, Danha’s players can now focus on maintaining their momentum and preparing for the more demanding encounters ahead.
Having finished fifth in 2023 and 19th in 2024, Benin will be hoping that their extraordinary opening results provide the platform for their strongest World Cup campaign yet.
