Current 151 2 (9 March 2017) FIFA code STP Head coach Gustave Nyoumba | Highest 115 (March 2012) | |
![]() | ||
Nickname(s) Seleção dos Falcões e Papagaios(The Falcons and True Parrots Team) Sub-confederation UNIFFAC (Central Africa) Lowest 200 (September–October 2007) Arena/Stadium Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho |
The São Tomé and Príncipe national football team is the national association football team of São Tomé and Príncipe and is controlled by the Federação Santomense de Futebol. It is a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA.
Contents
History
São Tomé and Príncipe's first match was against Chad in Gabon as part of the Central African Games. They lost by a score of 5–0. Their next game was a horrendous 11–0 loss to Congo, São Tomé's largest loss to date. São Tomé ended off the competition with a 2–1 loss to Central African Republic.
After an eleven-year break, São Tomé lost to Guinea Bissau 2–0 and more importantly picked up their first points via a draw versus Angola. This was a major upset, as Angola was a prominent figure in South African football, later appearing in the World Cup, and São Tomé had lost all four matches before their draw.
The Green and Yellows took another lengthy break, this time for nine years, before a string of matches including their first win against Equatorial Guinea, 2–0 in 1999. They won the next game after that, against Sierra Leone, 2–0. This two-in-a-row streak accompanied with a draw a few matches later placed them at their highest FIFA ranking to date, 179.
In 2003, São Tomé lost to Libya 1–0 and 8–0, which was a major blow to their previous success. São Tomé did not participate in the qualification for the 2010 World Cup, withdrawing before their first match, leaving them unranked in the FIFA rankings because they did not play any matches for four years.
On 11 November 2011, after an eight-year hiatus, São Tomé and Príncipe participated in the qualification for the 2014 World Cup, losing to Congo 5–0 at home, then drawing the same team four days later, 1–1. São Tomé were reinstated in the FIFA rankings on 23 November 2011, entering at number 192.
World Cup record
Africa Cup of Nations record
Current squad
The following players were selected for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification against Madagascar on 22 March 2017.
Caps and goals correct as of the match on 4 September 2016.