The Djibouti national football team (, ), nicknamed the "Sharks 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.
2025
2026
Coaches
{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Nat
!Period
!Matches
!Wins
!Draws
!Losses
!Win %
|-
| Mohamed Bader
| align="center" |
| align="center" | – Dec 2001
| align="center" |15
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |2
| align="center" |13
| align="center" |0.00%
|-
| Ahmed Hussein
| align="center" |
| align="center" |Oct 2007 – Dec 2007
| align="center" |4
| align="center" |1
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |3
| align="center" |25.00%
|-
| Mohamed Abar
| align="center" |
| align="center" |Jan 2008 – Jun 2008
| align="center" |4
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |4
| align="center" |0.00%
|-
| Ahmed Abdelmonem
| align="center" |
| align="center" |Jul 2008 – Jul 2010
| align="center" |11
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |1
| align="center" |10
| align="center" |0.00%
|-
| Noureddine Gharsalli
| align="center" |
| align="center" |Oct 2011 – Jul 2016
| align="center" |5
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |5
| align="center" |0.00%
|-
| Michael Gibson
| align="center" |
| align="center" |Jul 2016 – Apr 2017
| align="center" |4
| align="center" |1
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |3
| align="center" |25.00%
|-
| Moussa Ghassoum
| align="center" |
|Dec 2017 – Apr 2019
| align="center" |5
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |5
| align="center" |0.00%
|-
| Julien Mette
| align="center" |
|Apr 2019 – Oct 2021
| align="center" |13
| align="center" |3
| align="center" |3
| align="center" |7
| align="center" |23.08%
|-
| Mohamed Meraneh Hassan
| align="center" |
|Oct 2021 – Jan 2022
| align="center" |6
| align="center" |1
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |5
| align="center" |25.00%
|-
| Abdourahman Okie Hadi
| align="center" |
|Jan 2022 – present
| align="center" |2
| align="center" |2
| align="center" |2
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |20.00%
|}
Players
Current squad
The following players were selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Group A matches against Burkina Faso and Ethiopia on 21 and 24 March 2025.
Caps and goals are correct as of 24 March 2025, after the match against Ethiopia.
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.
<!--Sorted by position, most recent call-up, caps, goals and last name.-->
Player records
:Players in bold are still active with Djibouti.
Most appearances
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30px|Rank
!class="unsortable" style="width:200px;"|Name
!width=50px|Caps
!width=50px|Goals
!class="unsortable" style="width:100px;"|Career
|-
|1
|align=left|Ali Youssouf Farada
|41
|1
|2017–present
|-
|2
|align=left|Doualeh Mahamoud Elabeh
|35
|1
|2016–present
|-
|3
|align=left|Daoud Wais
|34
|1
|2008–2021
|-
|4
|align=left|
|33
|1
|2006–2017
|-
|rowspan=2|5
|align=left|Mahdi Houssein Mahabeh
|32
|7
|2016–present
|-
|align=left|Yabe Siad
|32
|1
|2019–present
|-
|7
|align=left|Warsama Hassan
|31
|2
|2019–present
|-
|8
|align=left|Hamza Abdi Idleh
|30
|2
|2016–present
|-
|9
|align=left|Innocent Mbonihankuye
|25
|0
|2019–2023
|-
|rowspan=3|10
|align=left|Samuel Akinbinu
|23
|10
|2021–present
|-
|align=left|Guedi Hassan
|23
|0
|2007–2016
|-
|align=left|Ibrahim Aden Warsama
|23
|1
|2015–present
|-
|}
Top goalscorers
right|175px|thumb|Samuel Akinbinu is Djibouti's top scorer with 8 goals.
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30px|Rank
!class="unsortable" width=200px|Name
!width=50px|Goals
!width=50px|Caps
!width=50px|Ratio
!class="unsortable" width=100px|Career
|-
|1
|align="left"|Samuel Akinbinu
|10
|23
|
|2021–present
|-
|2
|align="left"|Mahdi Houssein Mahabeh
|7
|32
|
|2016–present
|-
|3
|align="left"|Gabriel Dadzie
|6
|18
|
|2022–present
|-
|rowspan=2|4
|align="left"|Abdourahman Okieh Hadi
|3
|4
|
|2005–2006
|-
|align="left"|Ahmed Daher
|3
|13
|
|2007–2009
|-
|rowspan=5|6
|align="left"|Ahmed Daoud
|2
|3
|
|2011
|-
|align="left"|Arid Ahmed Mohamed
|2
|5
|
|1999–2000
|-
|align="left"|Mohamed Liban
|2
|17
|
|2008–2015
|-
|align="left"|Hamza Abdi Idleh
|2
|30
|
|2016–present
|-
|align=left|Warsama Hassan
|2
|31
|
|2019–present
|-
|}
Competition records
FIFA World Cup
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!colspan=9|FIFA World Cup record
!rowspan=39|
!colspan=6|Qualification record
|-
!colspan=9|Appearances: 0
!colspan=6|Appearances: 6
|-
!Year
!Round
!Position
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
|-
|1930 to 1974
|colspan=8|Part of
|colspan=6|Part of
|-
|1978 to 1994
|colspan=8|Not a FIFA member
|colspan=8|Not a FIFA member
|-
| 1998
|colspan=8|Did not enter||colspan=8|Declined participation
|-
| 2002||colspan=8|Did not qualify
|2||0||1||1||2||10
|-
| 2006||colspan=8|Did not enter||colspan=8|Declined participation
|-
| 2010||colspan=8 rowspan=5|Did not qualify
|7||1||0||6||3||30
|-
| 2014
|2||0||0||2||0||8
|-
| 2018
|2||0||0||2||1||8
|-
| 2022
|8||1||1||6||6||30
|-
| 2026
|10||0||1||9||5||33
|-
| 2030
|colspan=8 rowspan=2|To be determined
|colspan=6 rowspan=2|To be determined
|-
| 2034
|-
!Total
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!31
!2
!3
!26
!17
!119
|}
Olympic Games
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;font-size:90%;"
|-
!colspan=9|Olympic Games record
|-
!colspan=9|Appearances: 0
|-
!Year
!Round
!Position
!
!
!
!
!
!
|-
|1896 – 1976||colspan=8|Part of
|-
| 1980||colspan=8 rowspan=7|Did not enter
|-
| 1984
|-
| 1988
|-
| 1992
|-
| 1996
|-
| 2000
|-
| 2004
|-
| 2008||colspan=8|Did not qualify
|-
| 2012||colspan=8 rowspan=4|Did not enter
|-
| 2016
|-
| 2020
|-
| 2024
|-
!Total|| ||0/28|| || || || || ||
|}
- <small>Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since the 1992 edition.</small>
Africa Cup of Nations
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!colspan=9|Africa Cup of Nations record
|-
!colspan=9|Appearances: 0
|-
!Year
!Round
!Position
!
!
!
!
!
!
|-
| 1957 to 1976||colspan=8|Part of
|-
| 1978 to 1992||colspan=8|Not affiliated to CAF
|-
| 1994||colspan=8 rowspan=3|Did not enter
|-
| 1996
|-
| 1998
|-
| 2000||colspan=8 rowspan=2|Did not qualify
|-
| 2002
|-
| 2004||colspan=8|Withdrew
|-
| 2006||colspan=8|Did not enter
|-
| 2008||colspan=8|Withdrew
|-
| 2010||colspan=8|Did not qualify
|-
| 2012||colspan=8 rowspan=3|Did not enter
|-
| 2013
|-
| 2015
|-
| 2017||colspan=8 rowspan=6|Did not qualify
|-
| 2019
|-
| 2021
|-
| 2023
|-
| 2025
|-
| 2027
|-
!Total|| ||0/35|| || || || || ||
|}
African Games
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!colspan=9|African Games record
|-
!colspan=9|Appearances: 0
|-
!Year
!Round
!Position
!
!
!
!
!
!
|-
| 1965||colspan=8 rowspan=2|Part of
|-
| 1973
|-
| 1978||colspan=8|Did not enter
|-
| 1987||colspan=8|Withdrew during qualification
|-
| 1991||colspan=8 rowspan=8|Did not enter
|-
| 1995
|-
| 1999
|-
| 2003
|-
| 2007
|-
| 2011
|-
| 2015
|-
| 2019
|-
!Total|| ||0/12|| || || || || ||
|}
- <small>Prior to the Cairo 1991 campaign, the Football at the All-Africa Games was open to full senior national teams.</small>
African Nations Championship
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!colspan=9|African Nations Championship record
|-
!colspan=9|Appearances: 0
|-
!Year
!Round
!Position
!
!
!
!
!
!
|-
| 2009||colspan=8|Did not enter
|-
| 2011||colspan=8|Did not qualify
|-
| 2014||colspan=8|Did not enter
|-
| 2016||colspan=8|Did not qualify
|-
| 2018||colspan=8|Withdrew during qualifying
|-
| 2020||colspan=8|Banned
|-
| 2022||colspan=8 rowspan=2|Did not qualify
|-
| 2024
|-
!Total|| ||0/7|| || || || || ||
|}
CECAFA Cup
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!colspan=9|CECAFA Cup record
|-
!colspan=9|Appearances: 10
|-
!Year
!Round
!Position
!
!
!
!
!
!
|-
| 1973||colspan=8 rowspan=4|Part of
|-
| 1974
|-
| 1975
|-
|border|22px|link=Zanzibar|Zanzibar 1976
|-
| 1977||colspan=8 rowspan=15|Did not enter
|-
| 1978
|-
| 1979
|-
| 1980
|-
| 1981
|-
| 1982
|-
| 1983
|-
| 1984
|-
| 1985
|-
| 1987
|-
| 1988
|-
| 1989
|-
|border|22px|link=Zanzibar|Zanzibar 1990
|-
| 1991
|-
| 1992
|-
| 1994||Group Stage||8th||3||0||0||3||2||9
|-
| 1995||colspan=8 rowspan=2|Did not enter
|-
| 1996
|-
| 1999||rowspan=3|Group Stage||11th||2||0||0||2||2||6
|-
| 2000||8th||4||0||1||3||4||15
|-
| 2001||11th||3||0||0||3||3||17
|-
| 2002||colspan=8 rowspan=3|Did not enter
|-
| 2003
|-
| 2004
|-
| 2005||rowspan=5|Group Stage||10th||4||0||0||4||2||18
|-
| 2006||11th||3||0||0||3||0||10
|-
| 2007||8th||3||0||0||3||2||19
|-
| 2008||10th||4||0||1||3||2||13
|-
| 2009||12th||3||0||0||3||0||13
|-
| 2010||colspan=8|Did not enter
|-
| 2011||Group Stage||11th||3||0||0||3||2||10
|-
| 2012||colspan=8 rowspan=2|did not enter
|-
| 2013
|-
| 2015||Group Stage||11th||3||0||0||3||0||9
|-
| 2017||colspan=8|Did not enter
|-
| 2019||Group Stage||6th||4||1||1||2||3||8
|-
!Total||0 Titles||12/39||35||1||3||35||22||147
|}
FIFA Arab Cup
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!colspan=9|FIFA Arab Cup record
!width=1% rowspan=39|
!colspan=6|Arab Cup qualification record
|-
!Year
!Round
!Position
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
|-
| 1963||colspan=8 rowspan=3|Part of ||colspan=8 rowspan=3|Part of
|-
| 1964
|-
| 1966
|-
| 1985||colspan=8 rowspan=5|Did not enter||colspan=8 rowspan=5|Did not enter
|-
| 1988
|-
| 1992
|-
| 1998
|-
| 2002
|-
| 2009||colspan=8|Did not qualify
|2
|0
|0
|2
|3
|8
|-
| 2012||colspan=8|Did not enter||colspan=8|Did not enter
|-
| 2021||colspan=8 rowspan=2|Did not qualify
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 1
|-
| 2025
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 1
|-
!Total|| ||0/9|| || || || || ||
!4
!0
!0
!4
!3
!10
|}
<small>The 2009 edition was cancelled during qualification.</small>
Arab Games
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!colspan=9|Arab Games record
|-
!colspan=9|Appearances: 0
|-
!Year
!Round
!Position
!
!
!
!
!
!
|-
| 1953||colspan=8 rowspan=5|Part of
|-
| 1957
|-
| 1961
|-
| 1965
|-
| 1976
|-
| 1985||colspan=8 rowspan=4|Did not enter
|-
| 1992
|-
| 1997
|-
| 1999
|-
| 2004||colspan=8|No tournament
|-
| 2007||colspan=8 rowspan=2|Did not enter
|-
| 2011
|-
!Total|| ||0/11|| || || || || ||
|}
See also
- French Somaliland national football team
- Djibouti national football team results
- Football in Djibouti
- Djiboutian Football Federation
- Djibouti Premier League
- Djibouti Cup
- Stade du Ville
References
External links
- Djibouti at CAF
- Djibouti at FIFA
- Djibouti at National-Football-Teams.com.