Central African Republic national football team

Central African Republic
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Les Fauves
(The Wild Beasts)
AssociationCentral African Football Federation
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationUNIFFAC
(Central Africa)
Head coachRaoul Savoy
CaptainGeoffrey Kondogbia
Most capsFoxi Kéthévoama (48)
Top scorerLouis Mafouta (14)
Home stadiumBarthélemy Boganda Stadium
FIFA codeCTA
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 128 Decrease 1 (18 July 2024)[1]
Highest49 (October 2012)
Lowest202 (July–September 2009, March–August 2010)
First international
Ubangi-Shari 5–1 French Cameroon
(Ubangi-Shari; unknown date 1956)[2]
Biggest win
 Central African Republic 6–0 Bhutan 
(Colombo, Sri Lanka; 22 March 2024)
Biggest defeat
 Ivory Coast 11–0 Central African Republic 
(Abidjan, Ivory Coast; 27 December 1961)

The Central African Republic national football team (French: Équipe de République centrafricaine de football), nicknamed Les Fauves, is the national team of the Central African Republic and is controlled by the Central African Football Federation. They are a member of CAF. Despite being traditionally one of the weakest teams in Africa and the world, they recently achieved success. They won the 2009 CEMAC Cup by beating Gabon in the semi-finals and Equatorial Guinea in the final 3–0. Their FIFA ranking rose from 202nd in August 2010 to 89th by July 2011. On 10 October 2010, they earned a shock 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier win at home against Algeria 2–0, which put them top of their qualification group. The team won its first FIFA World Cup qualifier on 2 June 2012 after beating Botswana 2–0 at home.[4][5]

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  2. ^ Barrie Courtney. "Central African Republic – List of International Matches". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  3. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Éliminatoires CAN 2019: La liste des 23 fauves pour affronter la Guinée". Centrafrique Football (in French). Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  5. ^ "CAR national football team 2018". national-football-teams.com. National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.