The Guinea-Bissau national football team formed in 1974. It affiliated to the Confederation of African Football and FIFA in 1986. The team was originally known as Portuguese Guinea.
The country itself lies on the west coast of Africa, its western border being the Atlantic Ocean. A small nation, Guinea-Bissau’s population is well below two million. Though the official language is Portuguese, this is mainly a hangover from the days of colonial rule.
The standard of living in Guinea-Bissau is one of the lowest in the world. HIV and malaria are huge issues, while the maternal mortality rate is rising. The country has also endured a recent period of unrest with clashes between the government and the military. The European Union withdraw security support in 2010, citing an inability to work with the then army chief of staff, Antonio Indjai.
Guinea-Bissau first entered a world cup in the 1998 competition. In the first round of qualification they faced neighbouring Guinea. Over the course of two very evenly matched games, Guinea-Bissau often held the advantage. However, a 3-2 win was followed by a 3-1 defeat that saw them eliminated by a 5-4 aggregate scoreline.
Ranked 134th by FIFA, Guinea-Bissau will look to maintain their place in the coming years.
World cup 2018
Fixtures to be announced.
Find out more