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Central African Republic national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Central African Republic women's national football team.
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Central African Republic
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Les Fauves
(The Wild Beasts)
Association Central African Football Federation
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation UNIFFAC
(Central Africa)
Head coach Eloge Enza Yamissi
Captain Geoffrey Kondogbia
Most caps Foxi Kéthévoama (48)
Top scorer Louis Mafouta (16)
Home stadium Barthélemy Boganda Stadium
FIFA code CTA
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 112 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 49 (October 2012)
Lowest 202 (July–September 2009, March–August 2010)
Elo ranking
Current 126 Increase 6 (3 March 2019)
Highest 79 (1956)
Lowest 164 (2007–2009)
First international
Ubangi-Shari 5–1 French Cameroon
(Ubangi-Shari; unknown date 1956)
Biggest win
 Central African Republic 6–0 Bhutan 
(Colombo, Sri Lanka; 22 March 2024)
Biggest defeat
 Ivory Coast 11–0 Central African Republic 
(Abidjan, Ivory Coast; 27 December 1961)

The Central African Republic national football team is also known as Les Fauves, which means "The Wild Beasts." This team represents the Central African Republic in international football. It is managed by the Central African Football Federation. They are part of CAF, which is the main football organization in Africa.

Even though they have been one of the less strong teams in Africa, they have had some exciting successes recently. For example, they won the 2009 CEMAC Cup. They beat Gabon in the semi-finals and Equatorial Guinea in the final with a score of 3–0. Their FIFA ranking also improved a lot, jumping from 202nd in August 2010 to 89th by July 2011. On October 10, 2010, they surprised everyone by winning 2–0 against Algeria in a qualifying match for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. This win put them at the top of their group. They also won their first ever FIFA World Cup qualifier on June 2, 2012, beating Botswana 2–0 at home.

History of the Team

Starting Out (1956–1989)

The team played its first game in 1956. Back then, it was called Ubangi-Shari. They played against French Cameroon. The Central African Football Federation was created in 1961. It then joined FIFA in 1964 and CAF in 1965.

Their first official competition was the 1961 Friendship Games in Ivory Coast. They had two draws against Upper Volta and Liberia. However, they lost to the host country and did not move to the next round.

The Central African Republic first tried to qualify for the African Cup of Nations in 1974. They moved forward because Gabon pulled out. But then, they lost to Ivory Coast. The second game was stopped early because of arguments. A replay was held, and Ivory Coast won 5–1.

They also played in the 1984 UDEAC Cup. They got to the knockout stage. But they lost badly to Cameroon 7–1. They then beat Gabon in a penalty shootout to finish third. In the 1988 UDEAC Cup, Gabon got their revenge by beating them in the semi-finals. The next year, in the 1989 UDEAC Cup, the Central African Republic hosted the tournament. They reached the final, beating Gabon along the way, but lost 2–1 to Cameroon.

Playing Less Often (1990–2008)

During the 1990s, the Central African Republic played very few international matches. They even pulled out of the 1996 African Cup of Nations qualifiers without playing a game. They returned to competitions in the UNIFAC Cup in 1999. They won three games and lost two, finishing in second place.

The team took part in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers for the first time. They lost in the first round to Zimbabwe. They also reached the final of the first CEMAC Cup in 2003. They lost to an amateur team from Cameroon.

Big Wins (2009–2019)

In 2009, the Central African Republic hosted the 2009 CEMAC Cup. They won their first ever trophy by beating Equatorial Guinea 3–0 in the final. Salif Kéïta scored one goal and Hilaire Momi scored two.

During the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, they had a huge 2–0 home win against Algeria. Algeria had just played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This was a very important victory. In July 2011, their FIFA world ranking went up to 89th place. This was a big jump from 202nd place in August 2010.

On June 2, 2012, they got their first win in World Cup qualification. They beat Botswana 2–0 at home. Even with this good result, they finished last in their group. On June 15, 2012, they had another impressive win. Even with only ten players, they beat Egypt 3–2 in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. This was the first time Egypt had lost a home AFCON qualifier since 1965! The Central African Republic then eliminated Egypt after a 1–1 draw in the second game. However, they were later defeated by Burkina Faso in the next round.

Close Calls (2020–Present)

On March 30, 2021, the Central African Republic lost 1–0 at home to Mauritania. This was their last group stage match for the Africa Cup of Nations qualification. If they had won, they would have finished second in their group. This would have qualified them for the main tournament for the first time ever.

On June 17, 2023, they needed to win at home against Angola. This match was part of the qualifiers. A win would have secured their first ever spot in the Africa Cup of Nations. But they lost 2–1 and dropped to third place. In their final group game, they lost 2–1 to Ghana, even after leading 1–0. This ended their hopes of qualifying.

FIFA Series Tournament

In 2024, the Central African Republic played in their first tournament outside Africa. FIFA invited them to the 2024 FIFA Series matches. These games were held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from March 22 to 25, 2024. They played against Bhutan and Papua New Guinea.

Recent Games

Main article: Central African Republic national football team results

Here are the results of matches from the last 12 months. Also, any future games that have been planned are listed.

2024

2025

Coaches of the Team

Here is a list of the coaches who have managed the team. Caretaker managers (coaches who take over temporarily) are shown in italics.

  • Soviet Union Evgeni Rogov (1973-1976)
  • Central African Republic Jean-Jacques Ombi (?-?)
  • Central African Republic Étienne Momokoamas (2004-2006)
  • Central African Republic Francois Yanguere (2006-2008)
  • France Jules Accorsi (2010–2012)
  • Central African Republic Herve Lougoundji (2012–2014)
  • Switzerland Raoul Savoy (2014–2015)
  • France Blaise Kopogo (2015)
  • Central African Republic Herve Lougoundji (2015–2017)
  • Switzerland Raoul Savoy (2017–2019)
  • Ivory Coast François Zahoui (2019–2021)
  • Switzerland Raoul Savoy (2021–2024)
  • Central African Republic Eloge Enza Yamissi (2024-)

Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification games. These matches were against Lesotho and Gabon on November 14 and 18, 2024.

The number of games played (Caps) and goals scored are correct as of November 18, 2024, after the match against Gabon.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Geoffrey Lembet (1988-09-03) 3 September 1988 (age 36) 40 0 France Rennes
1GK Dominique Youfeigane (2000-02-07) 7 February 2000 (age 25) 13 0 Gibraltar Manchester 62
1GK Jospin Christopher Bimako (1994-08-05) 5 August 1994 (age 30) 0 0 Central African Republic Olympic Real de Bangui
2DF Sadock Ndobé (1998-09-09) 9 September 1998 (age 26) 32 0 Republic of the Congo AS Otôho
2DF Amos Youga (1992-12-08) 8 December 1992 (age 32) 28 0 Bulgaria CSKA Sofia
2DF Peter Guinari (2001-06-02) 2 June 2001 (age 24) 19 0 Netherlands Telstar
2DF Cédric Yambéré (1990-11-06) 6 November 1990 (age 34) 17 0 France Bordeaux
2DF Severin Tatolna (2002-02-10) 10 February 2002 (age 23) 12 0 Sweden Umeå
2DF Dylan Mboumbouni (1996-02-20) 20 February 1996 (age 29) 11 0 Romania Concordia Chiajna
2DF Leonce Romeo Namgbema (2004-04-23) 23 April 2004 (age 21) 2 0 Central African Republic Red Star Bangui
2DF Bertillo Arnold Yangana-Ba-Komi (2004-03-24) 24 March 2004 (age 21) 2 0 Central African Republic Red Star Bangui
2DF Sacha M'Baka (2004-06-04) 4 June 2004 (age 21) 1 0 France Brest B
3MF Geoffrey Kondogbia (captain) (1993-02-15) 15 February 1993 (age 32) 20 3 France Marseille
3MF Brad Pirioua (2000-03-06) 6 March 2000 (age 25) 16 0 France Istres
3MF Isaac Ngoma (2002-12-09) 9 December 2002 (age 22) 14 3 Central African Republic Tempete
3MF Isaac Solet (2001-06-16) 16 June 2001 (age 23) 12 0 Turkey Göztepe
3MF Hamissou Dangabo (2003-01-15) 15 January 2003 (age 22) 5 1 France Nantes
3MF Noah Kevin Ato-Zandanga (2003-07-05) 5 July 2003 (age 21) 4 0 France Saint-Maur
3MF Dayan Saholona (1998-02-21) 21 February 1998 (age 27) 0 0 Switzerland Dietikon
4FW Louis Mafouta (1994-07-02) 2 July 1994 (age 30) 29 16 France Amiens
4FW Karl Namnganda (1996-02-08) 8 February 1996 (age 29) 25 4 Bulgaria Pirin Blagoevgrad
4FW Vénuste Baboula (1998-08-23) 23 August 1998 (age 26) 17 3 France Versailles
4FW Tieri-Teddy Godame (2002-07-09) 9 July 2002 (age 22) 6 3 France Guingamp
4FW Loïs Kaya (1993-10-15) 15 October 1993 (age 31) 3 0 Central African Republic Tempete
4FW Michael Yuken Kanguite 2 0 Lesotho Lijabatho

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called to join the Central African Republic squad in the last year.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Marcellin Biandao (1992-10-29) 29 October 1992 (age 32) 0 0 Cameroon Fauve Azur Elite v.  Papua New Guinea, 25 March 2024
DF Hugo Gambor (2002-12-30) 30 December 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Belgium Gent v.  Lesotho, 14 November 2024 PRE
DF Flory Yangao (2002-01-13) 13 January 2002 (age 23) 29 0 Central African Republic Olympic Bangui v.  Morocco, 15 October 2024
DF Freeman Niamathé (1999-03-12) 12 March 1999 (age 26) 16 0 Republic of the Congo Diables Noirs v.  Morocco, 15 October 2024
DF Guy Bekain (2001-06-15) 15 June 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Central African Republic Red Star Bangui v.  Gabon, 10 September 2024
DF Stéphane Kaïmba (2004-11-17) 17 November 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Cameroon Bamboutos v.  Ghana, 10 June 2024
MF Goduine Koyalipou (2000-02-15) 15 February 2000 (age 25) 7 1 Bulgaria CSKA Sofia v.  Lesotho, 14 November 2024 PRE
MF Trésor Toropite (1994-07-31) 31 July 1994 (age 30) 33 6 Republic of the Congo AS Otohô v.  Morocco, 15 October 2024
MF Axel Urie (1999-04-14) 14 April 1999 (age 26) 7 0 Qatar Al Kharaitiyat v.  Morocco, 15 October 2024
MF Esperance Mabekondiasson (2003-03-22) 22 March 2003 (age 22) 1 0 France Blois v.  Morocco, 15 October 2024
MF Yassan Ouatching (1998-11-28) 28 November 1998 (age 26) 3 0 Ghana Hearts of Oak v.  Ghana, 10 June 2024
FW Christian Malipangou (2002-05-16) 16 May 2002 (age 23) 12 2 Rwanda Gasosi v.  Lesotho, 14 November 2024 PRE
FW Moustapha Djimet (2003-06-12) 12 June 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Belarus FC Minsk v.  Lesotho, 14 November 2024 PRE
FW Eleoenai Tompte (1999-01-18) 18 January 1999 (age 26) 5 0 Austria Siegendorf v.  Ghana, 10 June 2024
FW Wesley Yapende (2001-08-18) 18 August 2001 (age 23) 3 0 France Nîmes v.  Ghana, 10 June 2024
FW Juste Koulou (2000-11-28) 28 November 2000 (age 24) 2 0 Central African Republic TP USCA v.  Ghana, 10 June 2024
FW Marco Majouga (2001-05-09) 9 May 2001 (age 24) 4 0 Bulgaria Botev Vratsa v.  Papua New Guinea, 25 March 2024

INJ Player left the squad due to injury.
PRE Player was part of a first list of players chosen.
RET Player stopped playing for the national team.
SUS Player is not allowed to play due to a rule breaking.
WD Player left the squad for reasons other than injury.

Team Records

Here are some records for the team. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for the Central African Republic.

Most Games Played

Foxi Kethevoama 2
Foxi Kéthévoama has played the most games for the Central African Republic, with 48 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Years Played
1 Foxi Kéthévoama 48 8 2002–2021
2 Geoffrey Lembet 38 0 2010–present
3 Franklin Anzité 37 0 2010–2019
4 Hilaire Momi 33 10 2007–2018
Saint-Cyr Ngam Ngam 33 0 2015–2022
6 Nicaise Zimbori-Auzingoni 32 2 2011–2018
7 Salif Kéïta 31 3 2007–2021
8 Eloge Enza Yamissi 30 1 2010–2020
Vianney Mabidé 30 5 2010–2020
Trésor Toropité 30 6 2013–present

Top Goal Scorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Years Played
1 Louis Mafouta 16 26 0.62 2017–present
2 Hilaire Momi 10 33 0.3 2007–2018
3 Foxi Kéthévoama 8 48 0.17 2002–2021
4 Tresór Toropité 6 30 0.2 2014–present
5 Vianney Mabidé 5 30 0.17 2010–2020
6 Karl Namnganda 4 19 0.21 2021–present
Junior Gourrier 4 24 0.17 2007–2021
8 Tieri Godame 3 4 0.75 2024–present
Moussa Limane 3 10 0.3 2013–2017
Isaac Ngoma 3 10 0.3 2021–present
Vénuste Baboula 3 11 0.27 2023–present
Geoffrey Kondogbia 3 15 0.2 2018–present
Salif Kéïta 3 31 0.1 2007–2021

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup

The team's performance in the FIFA World Cup.

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1966 to 1974 Did not enter Did not enter
Argentina 1978 Withdrew Withdrew
Spain 1982 Disqualified during qualifying Disqualified during qualifying
1986 to 1998 Did not enter Did not enter
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 4
Germany 2006 Withdrew Withdrew
South Africa 2010
Brazil 2014 Did not qualify 6 1 0 5 5 12
Russia 2018 2 0 1 1 2 5
Qatar 2022 6 1 1 4 4 9
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 4 1 1 2 7 9
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total – 0/15 – – – – – – 20 3 3 14 19 39

Africa Cup of Nations

The team's performance in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Africa Cup of Nations record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Part of France Part of France
United Arab Republic 1959
Ethiopia 1962 Not affiliated to CAF Not affiliated to CAF
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965
Ethiopia 1968
Sudan 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
Cameroon 1972
Egypt 1974 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 5 6
Ethiopia 1976 Withdrew Withdrew
Ghana 1978 Did not enter Did not enter
Nigeria 1980
Libya 1982
Ivory Coast 1984
Egypt 1986
Morocco 1988 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 2 7
Algeria 1990 Did not enter Did not enter
Senegal 1992
Tunisia 1994
South Africa 1996 Withdrew Withdrew
Burkina Faso 1998 Disqualified Disqualified
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Did not enter Did not enter
Mali 2002 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 1 3
Tunisia 2004 6 0 2 4 3 9
Egypt 2006 Withdrew Withdrew
Ghana 2008 Did not enter Did not enter
Angola 2010 Withdrew Withdrew
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012 Did not qualify 6 2 2 2 5 5
South Africa 2013 4 2 1 1 6 6
Equatorial Guinea 2015 2 0 1 1 1 3
Gabon 2017 6 3 1 2 9 11
Egypt 2019 6 1 3 2 4 8
Cameroon 2021 6 1 1 4 5 11
Ivory Coast 2023 6 2 1 3 9 7
Morocco 2025 6 1 0 5 3 14
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined To be determined
2029
Total – 0/35 – – – – – – 54 13 13 28 53 90

Head-to-Head Records

This table shows how the Central African Republic team has played against other countries. It includes wins (W), draws (D), and losses (L). The goals scored (GF) and goals against (GA) are also listed. The goal difference (GD) shows if they scored more or fewer goals than their opponent.

As of November 18, 2024, after the match against  Gabon.

Opponent
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Algeria 3 1 0 2 2 5 −3
 Angola 4 1 0 3 5 8 −3
 Bhutan 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6
 Botswana 2 1 0 1 4 3 +1
 Burkina Faso 5 1 1 3 4 9 −5
 Burundi 2 1 1 0 4 2 +2
 Cameroon 9 2 1 6 14 26 −12
 Cape Verde 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1
 Chad 9 5 1 3 13 10 +3
 Comoros 1 0 0 1 2 4 −2
 Congo 14 1 1 12 12 33 −21
 DR Congo 9 1 1 7 8 30 −22
 Equatorial Guinea 4 0 2 2 6 11 −5
 Egypt 2 1 1 0 4 3 +1
 Ethiopia 2 0 0 2 1 4 −3
 Gabon 15 3 4 8 13 23 −10
 Gambia 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1
 Ghana 3 0 1 2 5 7 –2
 Guinea 3 0 1 2 2 4 −2
 Guinea-Bissau 2 0 1 1 1 3 −2
 Ivory Coast 5 1 1 3 5 19 −14
 Kenya 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1
 Lesotho 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1
 Liberia 3 0 1 2 2 5 −3
 Libya 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
 Madagascar 7 4 2 1 14 8 +6
 Mali 3 0 1 2 5 8 −3
 Malta 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1
 Mauritania 2 0 0 2 0 3 −3
 Morocco 7 0 2 5 1 19 −18
 Mozambique 2 0 1 1 1 2 −2
 Niger 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2
 Nigeria 2 1 0 1 1 2 −1
 Rwanda 4 1 1 2 4 10 −6
 Papua New Guinea 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4
 São Tomé and Príncipe 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4
 Senegal 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3
 South Africa 2 0 0 2 0 5 −5
 Sudan 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
 Tanzania 3 1 0 2 4 6 −2
 Togo 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1
 Tunisia 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3
 Zimbabwe 2 0 0 2 1 4 −3
Total 146 33 29 86 165 288 −123

FIFA Ranking History

This graph shows how the Central African Republic's FIFA ranking has changed over the years. It shows their ranking at the end of each year.


Honours

These are the trophies and awards the team has won.

Regional Competitions

  • CEMAC Cup
    • Winners (1): 2009
    • Second Place (1): 2003
  • UNIFAC Cup
    • Second Place (1): 1999

Friendly Tournaments

  • FIFA Series: Sri Lanka
    • Winners (1): 2024

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de la República Centroafricana para niños

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