estarting a national team that had
been abolished is no easy task,
so winning through to the group
stage of the 2022 World Cup
qualifiers is some achievement
for Julien Mette.
One of the world’s most inactive and hapless
national sides, Djibouti lost all six qualifiers for the
2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Despite beating
newcomers South Sudan 2-0 in the next set of
AFCON games, Djibouti lost
6-0 in the return. And a 5-1
hammering at home to
neighbours Ethiopia in an
African Nations Championship
(CHAN) preliminary proved too
much for national federation
president Souleiman Hassan
Waberi, who dissolved the side.
Djibouti did not play any more senior internationals
until this year, when Mette was contacted about taking
on the daunting task of reviving the national side.
“I went for a visit in Djibouti,” says the 37-year-old
French coach, whose contract at Congolese club AS
Otoho had elapsed. “Those five days made my final
decision because I could watch games, see the
facilities and the motivation of the people in the
federation, especially the president Waberi.
“I had to start from the bottom. From January
to April I saw all the games of the first division
championship and some second division games.
I picked the players I found the most compatible
for my philosophy, those who have the qualities
that I search for: agility, good vision, calm, intelligence,
very good technically, generous.”
Only three players from the last game retained
their place in Mette’s first squad for a friendly with
neighbouring Somalia in July. A 1-0 win augured well
and, even though Djibouti lost a subsequent CHAN
qualifier to Ethiopia 5-3 on aggregate, Mette hadinstilled a sense of momentum.
Against Eswatini in the home leg of a World Cup
qualifier, Djibouti won 2-1 thanks to two penalties
before battling out a goalless draw in Manzini in the
return to progress.
The win was revenge for Djibouti’s 8-1 thrashing by
Eswatini – then called Swaziland – in the preliminaries
for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers back in 2015.
In this year’s rematch, half of Mette’s squad were
aged under 23, and four players aged between 18and 21 started, with nearly all of the side playing
in the Djibouti league, which is part-time at best.
AS Port won the title for a fourth time last season
but, like many Djibouti sides before, they did not take
part in qualification for the CAF Champions League.
Mette is looking overseas to expand his squad and
has brought in several players, but identifying the
Djibouti diaspora is not easy. Thousands of people
fled a civil war between 1991 and 1994 and many
switched nationalities.
There is still a lot of convincing to be done. As
Cameroonian striker Joseph Mboyong – who played
for CDE/Colas, Tadjourah and Arhiba in Djibouti- says: “Football is a corridor for success in some
countries like mine. We live in it, we breathe in it, but
it’s not the same [in Djibouti]. It’s just a distraction.
But the federation boss is fighting to make it be part
of them. It can be possible but will take time.”
The draw for the next stage of the World Cup
qualifiers will be made in January and Mette’s hope is
that by then he will have a more experienced squad
at his disposal.
Back on the world stage
Dissolved national team making headway in Qatar qualifiers
beat Vietnam’s Hanoi on away goals
to reach the Final on November 2,
when they will meet Lebanon’s Al
Ahed, who beat Al Jazeera of
Jordan 1-0 on aggregate.
COPA LIBERTADORES: Flamengo
are denied three goals by VAR as
they draw 1-1 at Gremio in the fi rst
leg of their semi-fi nal.
SPAIN: Former Valencia president
Juan Bautista Soler is jailed for two
years after an attempt to kidnap his
successor, Vicente Soriano, over
money owed.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:
After conceding three goals in 35
minutes, Red Bull Salzburg draw
level before hosts Liverpool come
back to win 4-3. Internazionale
score at Camp Nou for the first time
in almost 50 years but still lose 2-1
to Barcelona.
Thursday October 3
EUROPA LEAGUE: Wu Lei
becomes the fi rst Chinese national
to score in the group stage of a
WORLD SERVICE
Level...Flamengo (in red) and GremioR
Poor...Real Madrid
(in white) struggle
against Club BruggeLine-up...the side
Djibouti that played EswatiniSTEVE MENARY
“Football is a corridor for success in
some countries like mine. We live in it,
we breathe in it, but it’s not the same
[in Djibouti]” Cameroonian striker Joseph Mboyong