Omna Taddele
February 27, 2026Djibouti eyes return to home soil after five-year CAF stadium ban
Photo: Djiboutian Football Federation
Djibouti eyes return to home soil after five-year CAF stadium ban
The Djiboutian Football Federation (FDF) hopes to secure a green light from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to use the El-Hadj Hassan Gouled Aptidon Stadium for Djibouti’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations preliminary round qualifying tie against South Sudan in March.
The stadium has been deemed unfit to host international and continental fixtures by CAF for more than five years.
FDF President Souleiman Hassan Waberi met with CAF inspection team head Djibril Diop to discuss the stadium and its condition. The inspection team visited the stadium facility, and the FDF is hopeful that the national side will be able to have a home fixture for the first time since 2019.
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In a statement, the FDF said Waberi discussed the stadium with Diop. “Diop presented to the president of the FDF the various technical assessments of the facilities at the Hassan Gouled Stadium. This process is part of the homologation of the stadium so that it can host official international matches.”
The national team has been using venues in Morocco and Egypt over the past five years to stage their international games. The Hassan Gouled Stadium was closed for renovation purposes after it was deemed unfit. Although the recent renovation works have been completed, the FDF still needs approval from the African confederation to stage international matches at the stadium.
Djibouti last played a home fixture at the Hassan Gouled Stadium in September 2019, when they beat Eswatini 2–1 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup African qualifier.