Djibouti vs. Liberia Africa Cup of Nations – Match Analysis
The road to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations begins as Djibouti faces Liberia in the preliminary round, setting the stage for an intense battle on Thursday.
Match Preview
Djibouti, ranked 192nd in FIFA Rankings and 52nd in Africa, is one of the lowest-ranked teams in the continent and the second-lowest in the preliminary rounds.
The team, led by Adbourahman Okie Hadi, has never qualified for the AFCON and has only participated in the CECAFA Cup, a competition for Central and East African teams.
Djibouti played only one match this year, a 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea in January.
In their recent performance, they faced setbacks in their last three matches, suffering a heavy 6-0 defeat against Egypt and a narrow 1-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau in the initial two group-stage qualifying games for the upcoming 2026 World Cup.
On the other hand, Liberia aims for their third AFCON appearance after participating in the 1996 and 2002 editions.
Ranked 152nd in the latest FIFA Rankings, placing them 46th out of 54 teams in Africa, Mario Marinica’s team has been winless in eight successive international matches and lost the last five.
Liberia reached the group stage in the last AFCON qualification series. Their goal this time is to improve upon their previous performance.
They need to enhance their scoring efficiency as they have failed to score in their last two games.
Liberia has won both previous matches against Djibouti, scoring six goals without conceding.
Recent Form
- Djibouti: WWLLD
- Liberia: LLLLLL
Possible Lineups
Djibouti: (4-3-3)
Luyima;
Farada, Isman, Araita, Warsama;
Aden, Hassan, Hamza;
Mohamed, Dadzie, Akinbinu
Liberia: (4-3-3)
Williams;
Johnson, Dweh, Sangare, Pabai;
Dorley, Macauley, Kenneh;
Korvah, Jebor, Ledlum
Prediction: Djibouti 0-1 Liberia
Liberia is the stronger team and likely to win this match.
The game will be held on neutral ground in Morocco, limiting home support for Djibouti.
Despite this, it is expected to be a closely contested game as the hosts have shown improvement since their last encounter.
- Prediction: Liberia Win or Draw
- Betting Tip: Under 2.5 Goals
