kids encyclopedia robot

Guinea-Bissau national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Guinea-Bissau women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Guinea-Bissau
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Djurtus
Association Federação de Futebol da Guiné-Bissau
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach Luis Boa Morte
Captain Jonas Mendes
Most caps Jonas Mendes (58)
Top scorer Nando Có (9)
Home stadium Estádio 24 de Setembro
Estádio Lino Correia
FIFA code GNB
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 118 Increase 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest 68 (November 2016–January 2017)
Lowest 195 (February–March 2010)
Elo ranking
Current 131 Increase 4 (3 March 2019)
Highest 99 (11 February 1984)
Lowest 159 (23 April 2000, 10 June 2001)
First international
 British Gambia 1–3 Portuguese Guinea
(British Gambia; June 2, 1952)
Biggest win
 Guinea-Bissau 7–2 Benin 
(Bamako, Mali; 3 November 2001)
Biggest defeat
 Mali 6–1 Guinea-Bissau 
(Banjul, Gambia; 01 December 1997)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances 4 (first in 2017)
Best result Group stage (2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023)

The Guinea-Bissau national football team (Portuguese: Seleção nacional de futebol da Guiné-Bissau) represents Guinea-Bissau in men's international association football and it is controlled by the Football Federation of Guinea-Bissau, The team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cups but qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations four times, making their debut in 2017. The team is a member of both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).

History

World Cup qualifying

Guinea-Bissau entered their first FIFA World Cup qualification with the aim of reaching the 1998 World Cup in France. The first round of African qualification required for them to play Guinea in a two-legged match. The first leg was held at home in the Estadio 24 de Setembro in Bissau on 1 June 1996 with an attendance of 15,000. Guinea-Bissau went 2–0 up at half-time after strikes from Pereira Tavares in 11th and 36th minutes. Guinea's Titi Camara equalised with his own brace in the 53rd and 54th minutes. Guinea-Bissau's Co Cipriano won the game with a 60th-minute penalty to make it 3–2. The away leg was held at the Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry. Momo Soumah of Guinea scored to level the tie at half-time before Nando Có scored a bicycle kick for Guinea-Bissau to put his side 4–3 up on aggregate, however another goal from Momo Soumah and a winner from Tibou Bangoura won the match for Guinea, giving them a 5–4 lead on aggregate.

Guinea-Bissau had never progressed beyond the first round of qualification until the 2022 qualifiers where they defeated São Tomé and Príncipe 3–1 over two legs, thanks to three goals from Joseph Mendes.

Africa Cup of Nations

Guinea-Bissau first participated in AFCON qualification in 1994 where they defeated Cape Verde over three legs, but failed to register a single point in the second round as their draw against Togo was annulled after Togo withdrew from the competition. In 1996 Guinea-Bissau withdrew from qualification after a draw and two losses to begin the campaign, leading to their ban for 1998 AFCON.

Guinea-Bissau next entered qualification in 2006 where they lost 4–1 to Mali national football team and were again banned in 2008 for unpaid debts to CAF. In 2012 they secured a single win (1–0 against Kenya) and five losses to finish last in Group J. The following year they were eliminated 2–0 by Cameroon. In 2015, after beating Central African Republic 3–1, they lost to Botswana by the same scoreline.

For the 2017 qualifiers, Guinea-Bissau was drawn from Pot 4 into Group E and, despite being the lowest ranked nation in their group, achieved ten points and qualified for the 2017 tournament ahead of Congo, Zambia and Kenya. In their African Cup of Nations debut, Guinea-Bissau drew 1–1 with Gabon with a 91st-minute equaliser by Juary Soares. This was the only point they collected at the tournament and they were eliminated in the group stage.

Guinea-Bissau then also won their Group in the 2019 qualifiers to reach a second straight Finals. They again managed one draw (0–0 against Benin) and two losses and failed to progress to the knock-out stages.

On March 30, 2021, Guinea-Bissau went into their final qualifying match against Congo, needing a victory to qualify. They ended comfortable winners with goals from Piqueti, Frédéric Mendy and Jorginho to secure their third successive AFCON appearance.

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

2024

2025

Coaching history

  • Portugal Guilherme Farinha (1990–1994)
  • Guinea-Bissau Armando Antonio Miranda (2000)
  • Guinea-Bissau Baciro Candé (2001–2009)
  • Portugal Luís Norton de Matos (2010–2012)
  • Portugal Carlos Manuel (2012–2014)
  • Portugal Paulo Torres (2014–2016)
  • Guinea-Bissau Baciro Candé (2016–present)

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Guinea-Bissau Baciro Candé
Assistant coaches Guinea-Bissau Tiago Mendy
Guinea-Bissau Herculano Embaló
Fitness coach Guinea-Bissau Domingos Mané
Goalkeeper coach Guinea-Bissau Mamadú Djaló
Team doctors Guinea-Bissau Dr. Justino Camará
Guinea-Bissau Dr. Gelson Sissoco
Physiotherapists Guinea-Bissau Nuno Jaquité
Guinea-Bissau Diogo Sanhá
Guinea-Bissau Álvaro Traoré
Guinea-Bissau António Jarrá
Match analyst Guinea-Bissau Pedro Candé

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Caps and goals correct as of 22 January 2024, after the match against Nigeria

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Jonas Mendes (captain) (1989-11-20) 20 November 1989 (age 34) 58 0 Greece Kalamata
1GK Ouparine Djoco (1998-04-22) 22 April 1998 (age 26) 5 0 Belgium Francs Borains
1GK Fernando Embadje (2003-07-06) 6 July 2003 (age 20) 0 0 Portugal Alcanenense
2DF Sori Mané (1996-04-03) 3 April 1996 (age 28) 33 0 Portugal Moreirense
2DF Nanú (1994-05-17) 17 May 1994 (age 29) 26 0 Turkey Samsunspor
2DF Opa Sanganté (1991-02-01) 1 February 1991 (age 33) 24 0 France Dunkerque
2DF Fali Candé (1998-01-24) 24 January 1998 (age 26) 23 0 France Metz
2DF Marcelo Djaló (1993-10-08) 8 October 1993 (age 30) 19 1 Spain Hércules
2DF Jefferson Encada (1998-04-17) 17 April 1998 (age 26) 19 0 Egypt Pharco
2DF Houboulang Mendes (1998-05-04) 4 May 1998 (age 25) 4 0 Spain Almeria
2DF Edgar Ié (1994-05-01) 1 May 1994 (age 29) 3 0 Romania Dinamo București
3MF Moreto Cassamá (1998-02-16) 16 February 1998 (age 26) 24 0 Cyprus Omonia
3MF Alfa Semedo (1997-08-30) 30 August 1997 (age 26) 24 2 Saudi Arabia Al-Tai
3MF Dálcio (1996-05-22) 22 May 1996 (age 27) 17 0 Cyprus APOEL
3MF Mauro Rodrigues (2001-04-15) 15 April 2001 (age 23) 14 2 Switzerland Yverdon-Sport
3MF Janio Bikel (1995-06-28) 28 June 1995 (age 28) 13 0 Turkey Gaziantep
3MF Carlos Mané (1994-03-11) 11 March 1994 (age 30) 5 1 Turkey Kayserispor
3MF Famana Quizera (2002-04-25) 25 April 2002 (age 21) 4 0 Portugal Vizeu
3MF Nito Gomes (2002-02-03) 3 February 2002 (age 22) 3 1 Portugal Marítimo
3MF Zidane Banjaqui (1998-12-15) 15 December 1998 (age 25) 1 1 Portugal Feirense
4FW Mama Baldé (1995-11-06) 6 November 1995 (age 28) 25 4 France Lyon
4FW Zinho Gano (1993-10-13) 13 October 1993 (age 30) 7 4 Belgium Zulte Waregem
4FW Franculino Djú (2004-06-28) 28 June 2004 (age 19) 6 1 Denmark Midtjylland
4FW Zé Turbo (1996-10-22) 22 October 1996 (age 27) 6 1 Russia Pari NN
4FW Carlos Mendes Gomes (1998-11-14) 14 November 1998 (age 25) 5 0 England Bolton Wanderers
4FW Marciano Sanca (2004-11-06) 6 November 2004 (age 19) 3 0 Spain Almeria B

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for Guinea-Bissau in the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Manuel Baldé (2002-11-14) 14 November 2002 (age 21) 4 0 Portugal Vizela 2023 AFCON PRE
GK Celton Biai (2000-08-13) 13 August 2000 (age 23) 0 0 Portugal Vitoria 2023 AFCON PRE
DF Prosper Mendy (1996-06-07) 7 June 1996 (age 27) 3 0 Kazakhstan Kaisar 2023 AFCON PRE
DF Sana Gomes (2002-09-07) 7 September 2002 (age 21) 0 0 United Arab Emirates Al Wasl 2023 AFCON PRE
DF Baba Fernandes (2000-07-03) 3 July 2000 (age 23) 1 0 England Accrington v.  Guinea, 13 October 2023
DF Tidjane Badjana (2002-11-28) 28 November 2002 (age 21) 0 0 Guinea-Bissau Benfica de Bissau v.  Sierra Leone, 11 September 2023
DF Braima Mané (2001-11-21) 21 November 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Guinea-Bissau Sporting Club de Bissau v.  Sierra Leone, 11 September 2023
DF Tito Júnior (1995-07-28) 28 July 1995 (age 28) 2 0 Portugal Varzim v.  Nigeria, 27 March 2023
DF Pedro Justiniano (2000-04-18) 18 April 2000 (age 24) 2 0 Finland VPS v.  Nigeria, 27 March 2023
MF Mamadi Camará (2003-12-31) 31 December 2003 (age 20) 5 0 England Reading 2023 AFCON PRE
MF Panutche Camará (1997-02-28) 28 February 1997 (age 27) 4 1 England Charlton 2023 AFCON PRE
MF Ronaldo Camará (2003-01-05) 5 January 2003 (age 21) 1 0 Portugal Feirense 2023 AFCON PRE
MF Edson Silva (2001-05-17) 17 May 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Cyprus Nea Salamis 2023 AFCON PRE
MF Bura (1995-12-22) 22 December 1995 (age 28) 26 1 United States San Antonio FC v.  São Tomé and Príncipe, 15 June 2023
MF Pelé (1991-09-29) 29 September 1991 (age 32) 21 1 Unattached v.  Nigeria, 27 March 2023
FW Piqueti (1993-02-12) 12 February 1993 (age 31) 40 7 Saudi Arabia Al-Shoulla 2023 AFCON PRE
FW Jorginho (1995-09-21) 21 September 1995 (age 28) 25 5 Kazakhstan Ordabasy 2023 AFCON PRE
FW Joseph Mendes (1991-03-30) 30 March 1991 (age 33) 14 4 France Dijon 2023 AFCON PRE
FW Toni Gomes (1998-11-16) 16 November 1998 (age 25) 4 0 Israel Hapoel Hadera 2023 AFCON PRE
FW Joao Pedro (1996-06-13) 13 June 1996 (age 27) 2 0 Greece Panetolikos 2023 AFCON PRE
FW Jardel (1997-09-20) 20 September 1997 (age 26) 4 1 Poland Radomiak Radom v.  Sierra Leone, 11 September 2023
FW Leandro Sanca (2000-01-04) 4 January 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Portugal Chaves v.  São Tomé and Príncipe, 15 June 2023
FW João Mário (1993-10-11) 11 October 1993 (age 30) 14 2 Vietnam Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC v.  Nigeria, 27 March 2023

DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player has retired from international football.
SUS Suspended from the national team.
WD Withdrew from squad.

Records

Players in bold are still active with Guinea Bissau.

Most appearances

Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Jonas Mendes 58 0 2010–present
2 Piqueti Djassi 40 7 2015–present
3 Adelino Lopes 36 2 1994–2001
4 Zezinho 34 2 2010–2019
5 Sori Mané 33 0 2017–present
6 Jorginho 27 5 2018–present
7 Bura Nogueira 26 1 2015–present
8 Frédéric Mendy 24 6 2016–present
Nanu 24 0 2019–present
10 Mamadu Candé 23 0 2010–2019

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Nando Co 9 6 1.5 1996–2001
2 Piqueti Djassi 7 40 0.18 2015–present
3 Cícero Semedo 6 14 0.43 2010–2016
Frédéric Mendy 6 24 0.25 2016–present
5 Jorginho 5 27 0.19 2018–present
6 Zinho Gano 4 5 0.8 2022–present
Joseph Mendes 4 14 0.29 2019–present
8 Braima Mané 3 3 1 1995
Basile de Carvalho 3 8 0.38 2011–2012
Mama Baldé 3 22 0.14 2019–present

Competition records

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1974 Part of  Portugal Part of  Portugal
1978 to 1986 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1990 and 1994 Did not enter Declined participation
France 1998 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 4 5
South Korea Japan 2002 2 0 1 1 0 3
Germany 2006 2 0 0 2 1 4
South Africa 2010 2 0 1 1 0 1
Brazil 2014 2 0 1 1 1 2
Russia 2018 2 0 1 1 2 4
Qatar 2022 8 3 3 2 8 12
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 2 1 1 0 2 1
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/9 22 5 8 9 18 32

Africa Cup of Nations

Africa Cup of Nations record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Part of  Portugal
United Arab Republic 1959
Ethiopia 1962
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965
Ethiopia 1968
Sudan 1970
Cameroon 1972
Egypt 1974
Ethiopia 1976 Not affiliated to CAF
Ghana 1978
Nigeria 1980
Libya 1982
Ivory Coast 1984
Egypt 1986
Morocco 1988 Did not enter
Algeria 1990
Senegal 1992
Tunisia 1994 Did not qualify
South Africa 1996 Withdrew during qualifying
Burkina Faso 1998 Banned for withdrawing in 1996
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Did not enter
Mali 2002 Withdrew
Tunisia 2004
Egypt 2006 Did not qualify
Ghana 2008 Did not enter
Angola 2010 Did not qualify
Gabon Equatorial Guinea 2012
South Africa 2013
Equatorial Guinea 2015
Gabon 2017 Group stage 14th 3 0 1 2 2 5
Egypt 2019 20th 3 0 1 2 0 4
Cameroon 2021 22nd 3 0 1 2 0 3
Ivory Coast 2023 23rd 3 0 0 3 2 7
Morocco 2025 To be determined
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027
Total Group stage 4/36 12 0 3 9 4 19

Honours

  • Amilcar Cabral Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 1983

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Guinea-Bisáu para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Guinea-Bissau national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.