Djibouti national football team facts for kids
Nickname(s) | Riverains de la Mer Rouge (Shoremen of the Red Sea) | ||
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Association | Djiboutian Football Federation | ||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
Sub-confederation | CECAFA (East & Central Africa) |
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Head coach | Abdourahman Okie Hadi | ||
Captain | Mahdi Houssein Mahabeh | ||
Most caps | Ali Youssouf Farada Daoud Wais (34) |
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Top scorer | Samuel Akinbinu (8) | ||
Home stadium | El Hadj Hassan Gouled Aptidon Stadium | ||
FIFA code | DJI | ||
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FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 197 (7 February 2019) | ||
Highest | 169 (December 1994) | ||
Lowest | 203 (April–July 2015, November 2015) | ||
Elo ranking | |||
Current | 210 1 (3 March 2019) | ||
Highest | 94 (1947) | ||
Lowest | 214 (2016) | ||
First international | |||
French Somaliland 0–5 Ethiopia (French Somaliland; 5 December 1947) Post-independence Ethiopia 8–1 Djibouti (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 27 March 1983) |
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Biggest win | |||
Djibouti 4–1 South Yemen (Djibouti City, Djibouti; 26 February 1988) Djibouti 3–0 Mauritius (Djibouti City, Djibouti; 23 November 2019) |
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Biggest defeat | |||
Uganda 10–1 Djibouti (Kigali, Rwanda; 9 December 2001) Rwanda 9–0 Djibouti (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; 13 December 2007) |
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CECAFA Cup | |||
Appearances | 12 (first in 1994) | ||
Best result | Group stage (1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019) |
The Djibouti national football team, nicknamed the "Riverains de la Mer Rouge" (lit. Shoremen of the Red Sea), is the national football team of Djibouti. It is controlled by the Djiboutian Football Federation and is a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA). The Djibouti national football team's first win in a full FIFA-sanctioned international match was a 1–0 win vs. Somalia in the first round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.
History
French Somaliland (1947–1960)
Djibouti played its first international match under the name French Somaliland, at home against neighbouring Ethiopia on 5 December 1947 and lost 5–0. This was also Ethiopia's debut. The two played again in Djibouti on 1 June 1948 and Ethiopia won 2–1. On 1 May 1949, the fixture was played for the Emperor Cup in Ethiopia, and the host won 6–0. In 1954, Djibouti played Ethiopia three times: a 10–2 away loss on 1 May, a 2–0 home loss on 1 June and a 2–1 home loss the day after. Djibouti did not play a match again until 1960, when it entered a tournament for French-speaking countries held in Madagascar. The team lost 9–2 in the first round to Cameroon on 13 April. This was the squad's last game as French Somaliland.
Djibouti (1977–present)
After gaining independence in 1977, the team played under the name Djibouti for the first time against Ethiopia in an away match on 27 March 1983 and lost 8–1. The two played again two days later with Ethiopia again victorious, by 4–2. After a third friendly against Ethiopia, a 2–0 home defeat on 23 March 1984, Djibouti entered a tournament in Ethiopia against the host and Zimbabwe. They lost 2–0 to Ethiopia on 3 June and then 3–1 to Zimbabwe on 7 June.
Djibouti's first appearance at the CECAFA Cup, a local competition for nations in East and Central Africa, was in Kenya in 1994. These were its first matches since defeating South Yemen in 1988. The Djibouti squad lost 4–1 to the hosts on 28 November, 2–1 to Somalia on 1 December, and 3–0 to Tanzania on 3 December. Djibouti did not advance to the next round.
After the 1994 CECAFA Cup, Djibouti did not play a match until the qualification campaign for the 1998 African Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso. They were drawn in a two-legged qualifier against Kenya, and lost the first leg 3–0 away on 31 July 1998. The second leg at home was lost 9–1 on 15 August and Kenya went through 12–1 on aggregate.
In 1998, Djibouti became a member of the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA). The football squad has since participated in the Arab Games, a regional multi-sport event held between nations from the Arab World.
Djibouti entered its first ever World Cup qualification in an attempt to reach the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. In Pool D of the first round of African qualification, it was drawn against the DR Congo in a two-legged qualifying preliminary. Djibouti hosted the first leg at Stade du Ville in Djibouti on 7 April 2000, drawing the match 1–1 before a crowd of 2,700 fans. The squad lost the second leg 9–1 away at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa and the DR Congo advanced 10–2 on aggregate.
Djibouti has never played in the African Cup of Nations, with the team regularly withdrawing or not entering for financial reasons.
Prior to their four preliminary qualifiers in late 2019, Djibouti had 2 wins, 3 draws and 55 defeats from 60 competitive matches. However, a number of new players were called up and results finally improved. First, in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, Djibouti beat Eswatini 2–1 at home and drew 0–0 in Manzini to advance to the second round for the first time since the 2010 qualifying when they beat Somalia 1-0 (2–1 on aggregate). This was a massive improvement from the previous edition when Djibouti had also played Eswatini and lost 8–1 on aggregate. One month later, Djibouti played two 1–1 draws against Gambia in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification preliminary round, only losing the tie on penalties.
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2023
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification 16 November | Egypt | 6–0 | Djibouti | Cairo, Egypt | ||
18:00 UTC+2 | https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/520/288282/288289/400017577 | Stadium: Cairo International Stadium Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Jelly Chavani (South Africa) |
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2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification 20 November | Djibouti | 0–1 | Guinea-Bissau | Cairo, Egypt | ||
15:00 UTC+2 | https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/520/288282/288289/400017578 | Stadium: Al Salam Stadium Attendance: 35 Referee: Mohamed Athoumani (Comoros) |
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2024
Friendly 9 January | Equatorial Guinea | 1–1 | Djibouti | Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | ||
15:00 UTC+1 | https://sportnewsafrica.com/breve/can-2023-amical-la-guinee-equatoriale-accrochee-par-djibouti/ | Stadium: Estadio de Malabo |
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2025 AFCON qualification 20 March | Djibouti | 0–2 | Liberia | Marrakech, Morocco | ||
22:00 UTC±0 | https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2024-03-20/djibouti-vs-liberia/3283349/ |
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Stadium: Stade de Marrakech Referee: Mehrez Melki (Tunisia) |
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2025 AFCON qualification 26 March | Liberia | 0–0 (2–0 agg.)
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Djibouti | Monrovia, Liberia | ||
16:00 UTC±0 | https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2024-03-26/liberia-vs-djibouti/3283350/ | Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex Referee: Karim Sabry (Morocco) |
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Note: Liberia won 2–0 on aggregate. |
2026 World Cup qualification 5 June | Sierra Leone | 2–1 | Djibouti | El Jadida, Morocco | ||
17:00 UTC+1 |
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https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/520/288282/288289/400018163 |
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Stadium: Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium Referee: Godfrey Nkhakananga (Malawi) |
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2026 World Cup qualification 9 June | Djibouti | 1–1 | Ethiopia | El Jadida, Morocco | ||
17:00 UTC+1 | https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/520/288282/288289/400018164 | Stadium: Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium Attendance: 100 Referee: Chelanget Sabila (Uganda) |
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2024 CHAN qualification 27 October | Djibouti | 1–0 | Rwanda | Kigali (Rwanda) | ||
15:00 UTC+2 | https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2024/10/27/africa/african-nations-championship-qualification/djibouti/rwanda/4545272/ | Stadium: Amahoro Stadium |
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2024 CHAN qualification 31 October | Rwanda | 3–0 | Djibouti | Kigali | ||
18:00 UTC+2 | https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2024/11/02/africa/african-nations-championship-qualification/rwanda/djibouti/4545273/ | Stadium: Amahoro Stadium |
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Coaches
Players
Current squad
The following players were selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Sierra Leone and Ethiopia on 5 and 9 June 2024.
Caps and goals are correct as of 9 June 2024, after the match against Ethiopia.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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GK | Sulait Luyima | 4 November 1993 | 6 | 0 | Arta Solar 7 | |
GK | Moktar Youssouf Said | 12 October 2004 | 1 | 0 | Dikhil | |
GK | Aboubaker Guedi | 2 October 1987 | 0 | 0 | SDC Group | |
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DF | Ali Youssouf Farada | 25 August 1995 | 34 | 1 | AS Port | |
DF | Yabe Siad | 12 March 1998 | 25 | 1 | Arta Solar 7 | |
DF | Warsama Ibrahim Aden | 12 May 1998 | 22 | 1 | AS Port | |
DF | Moussa Araita | 24 July 1997 | 19 | 0 | AS Port | |
DF | Fouad Moussa Robleh | 28 April 1993 | 15 | 1 | Arta Solar 7 | |
DF | Moustapha Abdi Osman | 8 January 1992 | 8 | 0 | Garde Républicaine FC | |
DF | Ibrahim Idriss Mohamed | 14 November 2002 | 5 | 0 | ASAS Djibouti Télécom | |
DF | Abdillahi Elmi | 19 March 2003 | 4 | 0 | ASAS Djibouti Télécom | |
DF | Djimaleh Awaleh Kayad | 20 October 1995 | 0 | 0 | Gendarmerie | |
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MF | Doualeh Mahamoud Elabeh | 11 November 1991 | 30 | 1 | Arta Solar 7 | |
MF | Hamza Abdi Idleh | 16 December 1991 | 27 | 2 | Dikhil | |
MF | Ahmed Mohamed Aden | 4 December 1990 | 8 | 0 | Arta Solar 7 | |
MF | Ramadan Abdi Abdillahi | 18 January 1998 | 2 | 0 | ASAS Djibouti Télécom | |
MF | Awaleh Hoch Gedo | 18 October 2001 | 1 | 0 | Garde Républicaine FC | |
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FW | Samuel Akinbinu | 6 June 1999 | 21 | 8 | Arta Solar 7 | |
FW | Ahmed Youssouf Omar | 1 September 1998 | 12 | 0 | AS Port | |
FW | Gabriel Dadzie | 6 March 1997 | 13 | 5 | Arta Solar 7 | |
FW | Mahad Abdi | 11 July 1999 | 7 | 0 | Garde Républicaine FC | |
FW | Moktar Hassan | 15 April 1998 | 1 | 0 | ASAS Djibouti Télécom | |
MF | Zakaria Abdi Mouhoumed | 23 April 2000 | 0 | 0 | SDC Group |
Recent call-ups
The following footballers were part of a national selection in the past 12 months, but are not part of the current squad.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
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GK | Innocent Mbonihankuye | 5 November 1996 | 25 | 0 | Espereance | v. Guinea-Bissau; 20 November 2023 |
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DF | Idriss Houmed Bilha | 27 August 1997 | 0 | 0 | Arta Solar 7 | v. Equatorial Guinea; 9 January 2024 |
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MF | Warsama Hassan | 17 March 1999 | 25 | 2 | Arta Solar 7 | v. Equatorial Guinea; 9 January 2024 |
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FW | Mahdi Houssein Mahabeh | 20 December 1995 | 29 | 7 | Arta Solar 7 | v. Equatorial Guinea; 9 January 2024 |
FW | Mohamed Fouad Mohamed | 25 February 2000 | 18 | 1 | Arta Solar 7 | v. Equatorial Guinea; 9 January 2024 |
FW | Omar Abdallah | 30 October 2002 | 2 | 0 | Garde Républicaine | v. Equatorial Guinea; 9 January 2024 |
Player records
- Players in bold are still active with Djibouti.
Most appearances
Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
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1 | Ali Youssouf Farada | 34 | 1 | 2017–present |
Daoud Wais | 34 | 1 | 2008–2021 | |
3 | Daher Mohamed Kadar | 33 | 1 | 2006–2017 |
4 | Doualeh Mahamoud Elabeh | 30 | 1 | 2016–present |
5 | Mahdi Houssein Mahabeh | 29 | 7 | 2016–present |
6 | Hamza Abdi Idleh | 27 | 2 | 2016–present |
7 | Warsama Hassan | 25 | 2 | 2019–present |
Innocent Mbonihankuye | 25 | 0 | 2019–present | |
Yabe Siad | 25 | 1 | 2019–present | |
10 | Guedi Hassan | 23 | 0 | 2007–2016 |
Top goalscorers
Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Samuel Akinbinu | 8 | 21 | 0.38 | 2021–present |
2 | Mahdi Houssein Mahabeh | 7 | 29 | 0.24 | 2016–present |
3 | Gabriel Dadzie | 5 | 13 | 0.38 | 2022–present |
4 | Ahmed Daher | 3 | 13 | 0.23 | 2007–2009 |
5 | Ahmed Daoud | 2 | 3 | 0.67 | 2011 |
Abdourahman Okieh Hadi | 2 | 3 | 0.67 | 2005–2006 | |
Arid Ahmed Mohamed | 2 | 5 | 0.4 | 1999–2000 | |
Mohamed Liban | 2 | 17 | 0.12 | 2008–2015 | |
Warsama Hassan | 2 | 25 | 0.08 | 2019–present | |
Hamza Abdi Idleh | 2 | 27 | 0.07 | 2016–present |
Competition records
FIFA World Cup
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Olympic Games
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Africa Cup of Nations
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African Games
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African Nations Championship |
CECAFA Cup
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FIFA Arab Cup
The 2009 edition was cancelled during qualification. Arab Games
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See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Yibuti para niños
- French Somaliland national football team
- Djibouti national football team results
- Football in Djibouti
- Djiboutian Football Federation
- Djibouti Premier League
- Djibouti Cup
- Stade du Ville