Nado names Djibouti squad for World Cup qualifiers

Djibouti national side head coach Stéphane Nado has named a predominantly local-based squad September’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying games. The newly appointed French coach’s first assignment will be against Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau in Group A.

The lowly ranked side has started their World Cup qualifier preparations early at home and are now camping in Morocco. Both of their September fixtures will take place in Guinea-Bissau, including their first match against Burkina Faso, due to the lack of an approved home venue in Djibouti.

Nado opted to call up almost all of his players from the local top flight. Sweden-based Jabir Abdihakim Ali is the sole player in the squad who plies his trade abroad.

Players from AS Port, ASAS Djibouti Telecom, Garde Républicaine, and Dikhil managed to get their players into the national squad, as usual. Nado opted not to call up Samuel Akinbinu and Gabriel Dadzie, as both forwards are set to miss the September edition of the World Cup qualifying games. Both players scored Djibouti’s four goals in the campaign, with each netting two.

Djibouti is bottom of the group with a single point. Nado hopes to build for the future, as the World Cup seems out of reach for the Horn of Africa nation.

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