Benin Ligue 1: Coton FC retains its throne, Buffles on the prowl, the 21st matchday roundup

The 21st matchday of Benin’s Ligue 1 season 2025-2026 confirmed the balance of the championship, marked by numerous draws and a top-of-the-table battle that remains tight. With few goals, the weekend saw several teams cancel each other out, such as Bani Gansè against Espoir FC (0-0) or Damissa against USS-Kraké (1-1). The same could be said for AS Cotonou and Dragons (1-1).

Sunday, the trend continued with draws between JS Pobè and Hodio (1-1), then between ASPAC and the league’s leader Coton FC (2-2), the only truly entertaining fixture. Buffles FC, the runner-up in the standings, was held by Dadjè (0-0), letting a chance to take the lead slip away. In this tight context, some teams managed to stand out. SOBEMAP secured an away victory over the Cavaliers (0-1), while Ayéma caused a surprise on Dynamo d’Abomey’s turf (0-1). ASVO, for its part, defeated Loto-Popo (1-0).

In the standings, Coton FC holds first place with 41 points, followed by Buffles and SOBEMAP (40 points). At the bottom of the table, the pressure is mounting on Dadjè and Cavaliers, who are in deep trouble.

Standings at the end of the 21st matchday

1st: Coton FC — 41 pts (+15)
2nd: Buffles FC — 40 pts (+13)
3rd: AS SOBEMAP FC — 40 pts (+11)
4th: Loto-Popo FC — 37 pts (+09)
5th: AS Cotonou — 37 pts (+09)
6th: ASPAC FC — 36 pts (+14)
7th: Damissa FC — 32 pts (+05)
8th: Dynamo d’Abomey — 29 pts (+00)
9th: Espoir FC — 28 pts (-03)
10th: Dragons FC — 27 pts (-04)
11th: Hodio FC — 24 pts (-02)
12th: ASVO FC — 24 pts (-05)
13th: Bani Gansè — 19 pts (-05)
14th: JS Pobè FC — 19 pts (-06)
15th: USS-Kraké — 19 pts (-06)
16th: Ayéma FC — 18 pts (-10)
17th: Dadjè — 14 pts (-21)
18th: US Cavaliers — 13 pts (-14)