Raymond Tchayé: "If Benin wants to be great, we have to play Senegal, Cameroon..."

Interviews 31 May 2025 at 06:13

Aliou Toundé

News Editor

Recently appointed as the head coach of Benin's U20 Cheetahs, Raymond Tchayé is about to embark on his first major adventure as a national junior team manager. The youth coach, who was trained in France, notably at Red Star, is actively preparing for the WAFU A&B tournament by bringing together around forty young players for a training camp. In this interview, he shares his vision for Beninese football and, above all, his passion for high-level competition.

Hello Raymond Tchayé, could you please introduce yourself?

I'm Tchayé Raymond. Educator, coach at Red Star where I came up through the ranks as a player. Afterwards, I pursued a coaching career focused on youth development. I also helped the club earn promotion to Ligue 2. I worked alongside Steve Marlet in Ligue 2.

You were recently appointed as the head coach of Benin’s U20 national team, the Cheetahs. How do you feel?

It’s a great source of pride for me to represent my nation. Being Franco-Beninese, it’s a pleasure for me to come here. To share my experience, my expertise, and to help Beninese football progress.

To prepare for the WAFU A & B Cup scheduled from June 15 to 30 in Ghana, you have pre-selected 40 players. Why?

Forty players gives us a comprehensive view of all the talents potentially able to join the national squad. I would have liked to include more. But there are issues with paperwork, administrative files. Still, we’re getting ready to ensure we have the most competitive players. These 40 players are not a coincidence—it’s also to show that anyone can apply. But you have to work and be ready for that opportunity.

So, after five days of camp, what’s your assessment?

It started off well. The group is committed. Physically, we had to run tests to check their condition and freshness, as they’re just coming off their respective seasons, each from different competitions. So, we tested the players to assess their current form. They’re showing real seriousness. Of course, there are small things to adjust, but overall, it’s satisfactory.

A word on the quality of the squad?

I’ve seen some very interesting players. But there are tactical gaps—you can spot weaknesses in some phases of play. Technically, there’s still some fine-tuning to be done. But that’s our job. I’ve seen a good group: serious, dynamic, and motivated.

About the WAFU A & B Cup draw, Benin is in Group C alongside Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Côte d'Ivoire. Your thoughts?

I’m absolutely delighted. I love competition, I love a challenge. It’s also a way to show we’re not a small nation and that we deserve respect among the big teams. To be great, you have to play the greats. You can’t become great by only playing the minnows. If Benin wants to be great, we have to play Senegal, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon... the giants. And I hope this is just one step in our journey. I also want to face European teams, to play in the World Cup. I want to take part in all these tournaments that will reveal the future talents Benin has to offer.

This tournament will be your first real test at the helm of this team. Do you have any objectives?

The first objective is to have a strong showing and prepare well for the U20 AFCON qualifiers coming up. The idea is to use this competition as a springboard. Really, to get ready. Going as far as possible is also a goal. But above all, preparing well for the U20 AFCON qualifiers. Because that’s where we’ll see if we can consistently compete among the elite, or if we’re not yet ready for that level.

A message for the fans

We expect a lot from the fans. The fans are the twelfth man. Without them, we can’t go far. We’ll do everything on our side to build the best, the strongest, the most cohesive team. But the fans, they are the twelfth man—they give us strength, that extra encouragement. If the fans get behind these young boys, it will give them confidence. We really expect the fans to give unwavering support to these youngsters, to this next generation of Beninese football.

This is an exclusive interview granted to the Team Media Officer (TMO) of the junior national team, transcribed here by Foot-Africa.