Marcellin Bocove takes charge of Benin football with youth development at the heart of his plans

Marcellin Bocove has begun a four-year term as president of the Federation beninoise de football (FBF) after winning Tuesday’s election with 76 of the 79 votes cast.

The 25 August 2026 vote had only one candidate, with Bocove standing at the head of the “Ensemble, visons plus haut” list. He succeeds Mathurin De Chacus and will lead Benin’s football federation until 2030.

Bocove is an established figure in the country’s football administration, but his professional background began outside the sport. He trained as a civil engineer and graduated from Ecole Polytechnique de Thies in Senegal.

He later joined the Agence d’Execution des Travaux Urbains (AGETUR), where he served, among other roles, as deputy director general. His time at the agency involved overseeing infrastructure projects and gave him extensive experience in project management and administration.

His principal link with football is Association Vallee Omnisports (ASVO), a club he founded in 2011. Bocove has remained its president since its creation and was re-elected to the position in July 2026. That gives him 15 years of experience running a club in Benin’s top division.

The new federation president is also familiar with the internal workings of the FBF. He joined its executive committee in 2018, during De Chacus’ presidency, and went on to lead the commissions responsible for competition approvals, marketing and television.

He was also involved in matters relating to football infrastructure, adding to an administrative record that has covered both the sporting and operational sides of the game.

Bocove’s experience extends beyond Benin. He spent five years on the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) youth competitions commission. He is also a member of the Federation Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) social responsibility commission.

That combination of club leadership, national administration and international involvement will shape his approach as he takes control of the FBF. His new team has identified several priorities for the 2026-2030 mandate, including improving youth development and making clubs more professional.

The performance of Benin’s national teams is another central objective. The new administration also plans to place greater emphasis on the development of women’s football.

Bocove takes over after eight years working within the federation’s leadership. He will now oversee an executive committee made up of 21 members and move from helping to manage the FBF to directing its overall strategy.

His record as the founder and long-serving president of ASVO, combined with his experience in civil engineering and federal administration, will be central to the next phase of Beninese football.

The challenge is to turn the programme announced by his “Ensemble, visons plus haut” list into improvements across the sport, from the development of young players and women’s football to the professional standards of clubs and the results achieved by Benin’s national selections.