Djibouti: Stadium fails CAF inspection, hosting ban continues

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has denied Category 3 accreditation to El Hadj Hassan Gouled Aptidon Stadium, the Djiboutian Football Federation (FDF) confirmed. Djibouti were hopeful to stage a continental qualifying game after a five-year hiatus at home, but that dream is shattered for now.

CAF had an inspection visit at the stadium last week and decided against granting accreditation. FDF, in an official statement, stated the stadium could not meet the minimum requirements put by CAF as the ban continues for another month. “CAF stated that, despite the advancements observed in certain sectors, the stadium does not yet fully meet the requirements for Category 3 accreditation, in accordance with the current international standards.”

The El-Hadj Hassan Gouled Aptidon Stadium had a major refurbishment in early 2026 with the hope of securing accreditation for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations preliminary round qualifiers. Djibouti will be playing against South Sudan, but now they will need to find a new home for the tie. The national team has been using venues in Morocco to stage international games in recent times.

FDF confirmed the venue will still be refurbished and announced it has acquired a plot of land from the government to build a new 20,000-seater FIFA standard stadium.