Sport
Football in Djibouti: the Premier League, clubs and every champion
Football is Djibouti's most popular sport. Its league has run since 1987, and Djibouti joined FIFA in 1994. AS Ali Sabieh Djibouti Télécom is the most successful club, with 8 titles by RSSSF's count, and in 2009 became the first champion from outside the capital. In November 2007 Djibouti beat Somalia 1–0 for its first World Cup qualifying win.
The game in Djibouti
Football is the most popular sport in Djibouti. The country's football federation, the Fédération Djiboutienne de Football, joined FIFA in 1994. Djibouti first entered World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifying in the mid-2000s. In November 2007 it beat Somalia 1–0 in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, its first World Cup-related win (Football in Djibouti, Wikipedia; FDF). Somalia has played many of its own "home" internationals in Djibouti, including its first World Cup qualifying win, against Zimbabwe in 2019 (Somalia national football team).
The largest stadium is the El Hadj Hassan Gouled Aptidon Stadium (Stade du Ville) in Djibouti city, home of the national team (Wikipedia).
The Premier League
The Djibouti Premier League began in 1987 (Djibouti Premier League, Wikipedia). Since 2017 the top five clubs have played a post-season Super Ligue (RSSSF, Djibouti champions). Ghana's Gabriel Dadzie has been the league's top scorer five times, the most of any player (Wikipedia).
Every champion
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1987 | AS Etablissements Merill |
| 1988 | AS Compagnie Djibouti-Ethiopie (CDE, the railway) |
| 1991 | Aéroport |
| 1994, 1995, 1996 | Force Nationale Sécurité (FNS) |
| 1996/97 | Forces Armées Djiboutiennes (FAD) |
| 1997/98 | CDE |
| 1998/99 | Force Nationale de Police |
| 1999/00 | AS Boreh |
| 2000/01 | Force Nationale de Police |
| 2001/02 | AS Boreh |
| 2002/03, 2003/04 | Gendarmerie Nationale |
| 2004/05 | CDE |
| 2005/06 | FC Société Immobilière de Djibouti |
| 2006/07 | CDE |
| 2007/08 | FC Société Immobilière de Djibouti |
| 2008/09 | AS Ali Sabieh Djibouti Télécom |
| 2009/10 to 2011/12 | AS Port, three in a row |
| 2012/13 to 2017/18 | AS Ali Sabieh Djibouti Télécom, six in a row |
| 2018/19 | AS Port |
| 2019/20 | CF Garde Républicaine/SIAF |
| 2020/21, 2021/22 | AS Arta/Solar7 |
| 2022/23 | CF Garde Républicaine/SIAF |
| 2023/24 | AS Arta/Solar7 |
| 2024/25 | AS Ali Sabieh Djibouti Télécom |
| 2025/26 | AS Port |
Not played: 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993. Source: RSSSF, updated 14 June 2026.
Titles by club
- 8: AS Ali Sabieh Djibouti Télécom
- 5: Force Nationale de Police (including FNS); AS Port
- 4: CDE
- 3: AS Arta/Solar7
- 2: AS Boreh; Garde Républicaine/SIAF; Gendarmerie Nationale; FC Société Immobilière de Djibouti
- 1: Aéroport; AS Etablissements Merill; Forces Armées Djiboutiennes
Source: RSSSF. Wikipedia credits Ali Sabieh with 7 titles. RSSSF notes that AS Port's total is disputed: 7 up to 2013 by one count, 3 in a 2016 report, and 9 by the federation in 2025.
Cups
The national cup is the Coupe du 27 Juin, named after independence day, and there is also a Super Cup. RSSSF reports that CDE won the Coupe du 27 Juin 7 times and the Super Cup 5 times, and AS Port 8 cups and 7 Super Cups up to 2013 (RSSSF). In 2025 AS Ali Sabieh Djibouti Télécom won the league, Super Ligue and cup treble (La Nation).
Women's football
Women's football grew in Djibouti from the late 2000s (Hiiraan Online, October 2009). Djibouti's women's team, Les Gazelles, beat Somalia 4–1 on 24 October 2025 in the Somali women's team's first match (Somalia women's national football team, Wikipedia).
Read more
Sources
- Football in Djibouti, Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- FDF · fdf.dj
- Djibouti Premier League, Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- RSSSF, Djibouti champions · rsssf.org
- La Nation · lanationdj.com
- Hiiraan Online, October 2009 · hiiraan.com
- Somalia women's national football team, Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
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