Guinea-Bissau national football team facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | Djurtus Os Dromedários (The Dromedaries) |
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| 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 (60) | |||
| Top scorer | Nando Có (9) | |||
| Home stadium | Estádio 24 de Setembro Estádio Lino Correia |
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| FIFA code | GNB | |||
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| FIFA ranking | ||||
| Current | 118  2 (7 February 2019) |
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| Highest | 68 (November 2016–January 2017) | |||
| Lowest | 195 (February–March 2010) | |||
| Elo ranking | ||||
| Current | 131 4 (3 March 2019) |
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| 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) |
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| Biggest win | ||||
 Guinea-Bissau 7–2 Benin  (Bamako, Mali; 3 November 2001) |
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| Biggest defeat | ||||
 Mali 6–1 Guinea-Bissau (Banjul, Gambia; 01 December 1997) |
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| Africa Cup of Nations | ||||
| Appearances | 4 (first in 2017) | |||
| Best result | Group stage (2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023) | |||
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The Guinea-Bissau national football team is the official men's football team for Guinea-Bissau. They are known as the Djurtus, which means "African wild dogs." The team is managed by the Football Federation of Guinea-Bissau. They have never played in the FIFA World Cup. However, they have made it to the Africa Cup of Nations four times. Their first appearance was in 2017. The team is part of both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Contents
Team History
World Cup Journey
Guinea-Bissau first tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 1998. They played against Guinea in two matches. In their home game in Bissau, they won 3–2. Pereira Tavares scored two goals, and Co Cipriano scored a penalty.
In the second game in Conakry, Guinea-Bissau lost 3–2. Nando Có scored a great bicycle kick goal. But Guinea won the match, and the overall score was 5–4. This meant Guinea-Bissau did not move forward.
The team did not get past the first round of World Cup qualifiers for many years. But in the 2022 qualifiers, they beat São Tomé and Príncipe 3–1 over two games. Joseph Mendes scored all three goals for them.
Africa Cup of Nations Success
Guinea-Bissau first tried to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 1994. They beat Cape Verde. But they did not earn any points in the next round. They even got banned from the 1998 AFCON for pulling out of the 1996 qualifiers.
They faced more challenges in later years. In 2006, they lost to Mali. They were banned again in 2008 because they owed money to CAF. In 2012, they won only one game against Kenya.
However, things changed for the 2017 qualifiers. Even though they were the lowest-ranked team in their group, they played very well. They earned ten points and qualified for the 2017 tournament. They finished ahead of teams like Congo and Zambia.
In their first AFCON tournament in 2017, they tied 1–1 with Gabon. Juary Soares scored a goal in the last minute. This was their only point, and they did not get past the group stage.
They qualified again for the 2019 tournament. They had one draw against Benin but lost their other two games. So, they did not move to the knockout rounds.
On March 30, 2021, Guinea-Bissau played their final qualifying match for the 2021 AFCON. They needed to win against Congo. They won comfortably with goals from Piqueti, Frédéric Mendy, and Jorginho. This win secured their third straight AFCON appearance.
In the 2023 AFCON, they were in a tough group. They lost all three of their matches and did not advance.
Recent Matches
The Guinea-Bissau team has played several matches recently. In 2024, they had some draws in the World Cup Qualifiers. They tied 0–0 with Ethiopia and 1–1 with Egypt. Mama Baldé scored against Egypt.
In the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, they won 1–0 against Eswatini. Bura Nogueira scored the winning goal. They also had a 1–1 draw against Eswatini in November 2024. Carlos Mané scored for them in that game.
In 2025, they played some friendly matches. They lost 0–1 to Burundi and 0–2 to Gabon. They also played World Cup qualifiers, losing to Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso.
Coaching Staff
The team has a dedicated coaching staff.
- Head coach: Luis Boa Morte from Portugal.
- Assistant coaches: Domingos Indjai and Filipe Sambu from Guinea-Bissau.
- Fitness coach: Mustafá Danfa.
- Goalkeeper coach: Augusto Yansané.
- Team doctors: Dr. Raimundo Djabaté and Dr. Francisco Djoró.
- Physiotherapists: Leopoldo Kanté, Vasco Saidú, Vítor Djaló, and Gilson Baldé.
- Match analyst: Lucrécio Sané.
Key Players
Current Team
Here are some of the players who were called up for recent friendly matches in June 2025:
- Goalkeepers: Manuel Issufe Djaló, Fernando Embadje, Ricardino Té
- Defenders: Sori Mané, Fali Candé, Jefferson Encada, Sambinha, Víctor Rofino, Gilberto Batista, Sene Camara, Augusto Dabó, Mário Junior
- Midfielders: Bura Nogueira, Dálcio, Zidane Banjaqui, Panutche Camará, Mamadi Camará, Edson Silva, Dai Balde, Renato Nhaga, Vando Félix
- Forwards: Mauro Rodrigues, Zé Turbo, Franculino Djú, Jardel, Tamble Monteiro, Marciano Tchami
Players Called Up Recently
These players have also been part of the team in the last year:
- Goalkeepers: Manuel Baldé
- Defenders: Opa Sanganté, Babacar Fati, Saná Gomes, Nanu, Marcelo Djaló
- Midfielders: Alfa Semedo, Moreto Cassamá, Jorginho, Janio Bikel, Carlos Mané
- Forwards: Beto, Elves Baldé, Mama Baldé, Famana Quizera, Bacari Cissé, Toni Silva, Romário Baldé
Team Records
Most Games Played
These players have played the most matches for Guinea-Bissau:
- 1. Jonas Mendes (60 games)
- 2. Sori Mané (44 games)
- 3. Piqueti Djassi (40 games)
- 4. Adelino Lopes (36 games) and Alfa Semedo (36 games)
- 6. Mama Baldé (35 games)
- 7. Bura Nogueira (34 games), Opa Sanganté (34 games), and Zezinho (34 games)
- 10. Nanú (32 games)
Top Goal Scorers
These players have scored the most goals for Guinea-Bissau:
- 1. Nando Co (9 goals in 6 games)
- 2. Piqueti Djassi (7 goals in 40 games)
- 3. Cícero Semedo (6 goals in 14 games), Frédéric Mendy (6 goals in 24 games), and Mama Baldé (6 goals in 35 games)
- 6. Jorginho (5 goals in 29 games)
- 7. Zinho Gano (4 goals in 7 games) and Joseph Mendes (4 goals in 14 games)
- 9. Braima Mané (3 goals in 3 games), Basile de Carvalho (3 goals in 8 games), and Toni Silva (3 goals in 22 games)
Competition History
FIFA World Cup
Guinea-Bissau was part of Portugal until 1974. They were not a FIFA member until 1986. They did not enter the World Cup qualifiers in 1990 and 1994. Since 1998, they have tried to qualify but have not yet made it to the main tournament.
Africa Cup of Nations
Guinea-Bissau was part of Portugal until 1974 and not part of CAF until 1986. They did not enter the AFCON qualifiers for many years. They started trying to qualify in 1994. They have successfully qualified for the main tournament four times: in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023. Each time, they played in the group stage but did not advance further.
Team Achievements
- Amilcar Cabral Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1983
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Guinea-Bisáu para niños
