Gibraltar will face AFCON opponent

Gibraltar’s senior national team will be following up their most recent international successes against the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands with another friendly against a relatively unknown São Tomé and Príncipe.

The match, to be played on September 23 at Europa Sports Stadium, will be another chance for Gibraltar to build on its FIFA ranking.

Currently sitting at 202, Gibraltar is seven places below São Tomé and Príncipe, who presently sit at 195. The Cayman Islands sit between both Gibraltar and São Tomé and Príncipe at 197, with Gibraltar having beaten them 4-1 last June.

Playing international football since 1976, São Tomé and Príncipe are a member of the Confederation of African Football, having been in and out of competitive tournaments on frequent occasions.

Similarly to Gibraltar, they have faced some heavy defeats in their history, amongst which was the 11-0 defeat at the hands of Congo in 1976.

Although relatively unknown, their current squad has players across a wide number of European leagues, including Azerbaijan, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Germany, Finland, Italy, England and Iceland.

In their most recent internationals during 2025 and 2026, they have played six matches, winning just the one. This came against Malawi in October 2025.

Prior to this, they had faced defeat at the hands of Equatorial Guinea (3-2), Namibia (3-0) and Tunisia (6-0).

This year, they faced a double defeat at the hands of Ethiopia in the AFCON qualifiers, losing 3-0 at home and then 1-0 away.

São Tomé and Príncipe’s first ever away win came in 2019, when they defeated Mauritius 3-1 in the first leg of the AFCON qualifiers. They followed this through with a 2-1 win four days later to qualify for the next stage of the competition, where they faced Ghana, South Africa and Sudan, finishing their group matches with zero points.

They were to repeat their qualifier feat once again in 2023, beating Mauritius again, winning the first leg 1-0 before drawing the second leg 3-3. São Tomé and Príncipe were, however, not to enter the group stage after being sanctioned for not following COVID protocols, with Mauritius given a 3-0 win, cancelling their first-leg victory.

Whilst unknown to many, São Tomé and Príncipe have played 76 matches since they started on the international stage, with 11 victories and 10 draws to their name. Among the sides they have beaten are Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Malawi, Libya, Lesotho, Ethiopia and Equatorial Guinea.

Their exposure outside of their Confederation is limited, with Gibraltar listed as the first European side they will face since having played their first international in 1976.

This will be seen as a chance for the São Tomé and Príncipe players to showcase themselves in Europe. With many players playing in lower-tier leagues, it will also be a chance to showcase themselves for current Gibraltar domestic league clubs bidding to play in European competitions, making it an interesting encounter in which it will be the visiting side looking towards Gibraltar football rather than the other way round.

For Gibraltar, it is another major banana skin thrown in its path which will help them prepare for their forthcoming Nations League matches against Malta and Andorra. Although stumbling against opposition seen as very much on par with them in the rankings could also provide a dent in Gibraltar’s morale, especially at a time when morale is high following its two wins this June.

The latest match also comes at a time when UEFA has already indicated how changes in the future will see European football divided into divisions (Leagues A, B and C), with the lower-ranked teams unlikely to see much of the top league teams.

Whilst this is seen as a blow for Gibraltar, it will also bring Gibraltar to play more matches against teams ranked closer to Gibraltar, providing a platform from which to build on its current ranking if successful in navigating through the matches.

São Tomé and Príncipe will be another opportunity to show that June’s victories were no fluke.

The Stats

FIFA ranking
Current 195 Steady (20 July 2026)[1]
Highest 115 (March 2012)
Lowest 200 (September – October 2007)

First international
Gabon 6–1 São Tomé and Príncipe
(Libreville, Gabon; 2 May 1976)

Biggest win
São Tomé and Príncipe 2–0 Equatorial Guinea
(Libreville, Gabon; 14 November 1999)
São Tomé and Príncipe 2–0 Sierra Leone
(São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe; 8 April 2000)
Mauritius 1–3 São Tomé and Príncipe
(Belle Vue Harel, Mauritius; 9 October 2019)

Biggest defeat
Congo 11–0 São Tomé and Príncipe
(Libreville, Gabon; 7 July 1976)

São Tomé and Príncipe latest results

2025
4 September2026 World Cup qualification
São Tomé and Príncipe 2–3 Equatorial Guinea

8 September2026 World Cup qualification
Namibia 3–0 São Tomé and Príncipe

10 October2026 World Cup qualification
São Tomé and Príncipe 0–6 Tunisia

13 October2026 World Cup qualification
São Tomé and Príncipe 1–0 Malawi

2026
27 March2027 AFCON qualification
São Tomé and Príncipe 0–3 Ethiopia

31 March2027 AFCON qualification
Ethiopia 1–0 São Tomé and Príncipe