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.
Djibouti had never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.
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 NameNatPeriodMatchesWinsDrawsLossesWin % Mohamed Bader – Dec 20011502130.00% Ahmed HusseinOct 2007 – Dec 2007410325.00% Mohamed AbarJan 2008 – Jun 200840040.00% Ahmed AbdelmonemJul 2008 – Jul 20101101100.00% Noureddine GharsalliOct 2011 – Jul 201650050.00% Michael GibsonJul 2016 – Apr 2017410325.00% Moussa GhassoumDec 2017 – Apr 201950050.00% Julien MetteApr 2019 – Oct 2021 1333723.08% Mohamed Meraneh HassanOct 2021 – Jan 2022610516.67% Abdourahman Okie Hadi Jan 2022 – present422050.00%
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.
Player records
Players in bold are still active with Djibouti.
Most appearances
RankNameCapsGoalsCareer1Ali Youssouf Farada4112017–present2Doualeh Mahamoud Elabeh3512016–present3Daoud Wais3412008–202143312006–20175Mahdi Houssein Mahabeh3272016–presentYabe Siad3212019–present7Warsama Hassan3122019–present8Hamza Abdi Idleh3022016–present9Innocent Mbonihankuye2502019–202310Samuel Akinbinu23112021–presentGuedi Hassan2302007–2016Ibrahim Aden Warsama2312015–present
Top goalscorers
RankNameGoalsCapsRatioCareer1Samuel Akinbinu11232021–present2Mahdi Houssein Mahabeh7322016–present3Gabriel Dadzie6182022–present4Abdourahman Okieh Hadi342005–2006Ahmed Daher3132007–20096Ahmed Daoud232011Arid Ahmed Mohamed251999–2000Mohamed Liban2172008–2015Hamza Abdi Idleh2302016–presentWarsama Hassan2312019–present
Djibouti records and statistics Djibouti player sent off: (4 times) Youssouf Batio, v Algeria, 2 September 2021 (23rd minute) Aptidon Saad, v Burkina Faso, 11 October 2021 (67th minute) Yabe Siad Isman, v Burkina Faso, 5 September 2025 (10th minute) Ahmed Zakaria, v Bahrain, 26 November 2025 (44th minute) Opponent player sent off: (3 times) v Malawi, 25 November 2015 (35th minute) v Niger, 6 September 2021 (83rd minute) Houboulang Mendes, v Guinea-Bissau, 20 November 2023 (82nd minute) Largest comeback to wins the match: 1: (2 times) v Burundi, 29 July 2022 v Mauritius, 14 June 2023 Largest blown lead to lose the match: 1: (2 times) v Yemen, 20 December 2006 v Rwanda, 2 December 2011 Largest comeback to draw the match: 1: v Sudan, 4 January 2009 Largest blown lead to draw the match: 1: (2 times) v Gambia, 9 October 2019 v Gambia, 13 October 2019 Longest winning streak: 2: from 14 June 2023 to 17 June 2023 Longest unbeaten streak: 6: from 4 September 2019 to 11 December 2019 Longest losing streak: 18: from 11 November 2011 to 13 March 2017 Longest winless streak: 18: from 11 November 2011 to 13 March 2017 Longest goalless streak: 933 minutes: from 17 October 2015 to 22 March 2017 Most consecutive minutes without conceding a goal: 213 minutes: from 4 September 2019 to 9 October 2019 Longest goalless streak by both teams: 178 minutes: from 13 October 2019 to 11 December 2019 Most appearances: 41: Ali Youssouf Farada, from 11 March 2017 to present Most consecutive appearances: 25: Innocent Mbonihankuye, from 4 September 2019 to 17 June 2023 Top goalscorer: 11: Samuel Akinbinu, from 15 June 2021 to present Biggest win: 3: (2 times) v South Yemen, 26 February 1988 v Mauritius, 14 June 2023 Biggest defeat: 9: (2 times) v Uganda, 9 December 2001 v Rwanda, 13 December 2007 Most goals by a player in a match: 2: Ahmed Hassan Daoud, v Rwanda, 2 December 2011 Most goals by a player in first half: 2: Ahmed Hassan Daoud, v Rwanda, 2 December 2011 Most goals by a player in second half: 1: (37 times): Last time: Samuel Akinbinu, v Ethiopia, 24 March 2025 Most goals by a opponent player in a match: 4: Getaneh Kebede, v Ethiopia, 15 July 2017 Islam Slimani, v Algeria, 2 September 2021 Mohamed Salah, v Egypt, 16 November 2023 Most goals by a team in a match: 4: v South Yemen, 26 February 1988 Most goals by a team in first half: 2: v Rwanda, 2 December 2011 Most goals by a team in second half: 3: v Mauritius, 14 June 2023 Most goals conceded in a match: 10: (2 times) v Ethiopia, 1 May 1954 v Uganda, 9 December 2001 Most goals conceded in first half: 5: (2 times) v Kenya, 27 November 1994 v Uganda, 9 December 2007 Most goals conceded in second half: 7: v Uganda, 9 December 2001 Most goals by both teams in a match: 12: v Ethiopia, 1 May 1954 Most goals by both teams in first half: 6: v Kenya, 27 November 1994 Most goals by both teams in second half: 7: v Uganda, 9 December 2001 Fewest goals by both teams in a match: 0: (4 times) v Somalia, 19 November 2000 v Eswatini, 10 September 2019 v Somalia, 7 December 2019 v Liberia, 26 March 2024 Fastest goals: 7th minutes: Abdul Rahman Okishi, v Yemen, 20 December 2006 Fastest goals conceded: 1st minutes: Jason Mayélé, v Congo DR, 23 April 2000 Fastest 2 goals to start the match: 32nd minutes: v Rwanda, 2 December 2011 Fastest 2 goals conceded to start the match: 6th minutes: v Kenya, 27 November 1994
Competition records
FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup recordQualification recordAppearances: 0Appearances: 6YearRoundPosition1930 to 1974Part of Part of 1978 to 1994Not a FIFA memberNot a FIFA member 1998Did not enterDeclined participation 2002Did not qualify2011210 2006Did not enterDeclined participation 2010Did not qualify7106330 2014200208 2018200218 20228116630 202610019533 2030To be determinedTo be determined 2034Total31232617119
Olympic Games Olympic Games recordAppearances: 0YearRoundPosition1896 – 1976Part of 1980Did not enter 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008Did not qualify 2012Did not enter 2016 2020 2024Total 0/28 Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since the 1992 edition.
Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations recordAppearances: 0YearRoundPosition 1957 to 1976Part of 1978 to 1992Not affiliated to CAF 1994Did not enter 1996 1998 2000Did not qualify 2002 2004Withdrew 2006Did not enter 2008Withdrew 2010Did not qualify 2012Did not enter 2013 2015 2017Did not qualify 2019 2021 2023 2025 2027Total 0/35
African Games African Games recordAppearances: 0YearRoundPosition 1965Part of 1973 1978Did not enter 1987Withdrew during qualification 1991Did not enter 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019Total 0/12
Prior to the Cairo 1991 campaign, the Football at the All-Africa Games was open to full senior national teams.
African Nations Championship African Nations Championship recordAppearances: 0YearRoundPosition 2009Did not enter 2011Did not qualify 2014Did not enter 2016Did not qualify 2018Withdrew during qualifying 2020Banned 2022Did not qualify 2024Total 0/7
CECAFA Cup
CECAFA Cup recordAppearances: 10YearRoundPosition 1973Part of 1974 1975 1976 1977Did not enter 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1994Group Stage8th300329 1995Did not enter 1996 1999Group Stage11th200226 20008th4013415 200111th3003317 2002Did not enter 2003 2004 2005Group Stage10th4004218 200611th3003010 20078th3003219 200810th4013213 200912th3003013 2010Did not enter 2011Group Stage11th3003210 2012did not enter 2013 2015Group Stage11th300309 2017Did not enter 2019Group Stage6th411238Total0 Titles12/3935133522147
FIFA Arab Cup FIFA Arab Cup recordArab Cup qualification recordYearRoundPosition 1963Part of Part of 1964 1966 1985Did not enterDid not enter 1988 1992 1998 2002 2009Did not qualify 200238 2012Did not enterDid not enter 2021Did not qualify 1 0 0 1 0 1 2025 1 0 0 1 0 1Total 0/9 4004310 The 2009 edition was cancelled during qualification.
Arab Games