Djibouti vs Liberia Prediction: An open encounter for both nations

Djibouti and Liberia will face off at the Stade de Marrakech in Morocco on Wednesday for the initial leg of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in the preliminary round. In their previous encounters, Liberia emerged victorious each time, and as they arrive here, they aim to achieve a similar outcome. Is it possible for Djibouti to secure their first-ever victory against this opponent?

Placed at the 192nd position in the current FIFA list and occupying the 52nd spot in Africa, Djibouti finds itself among the lower echelons of footballing stature on the continent. Their historical track record in major tournaments like the AFCON remains devoid of qualification, with their participation limited to competitions like the CECAFA Cup, primarily focused on Central and East African teams. Recent performances highlight a 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea in January, yet they've stumbled with losses in their last trio of matches, including a substantial 6-0 setback against Egypt and a narrow 1-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Moving forward, this upcoming fixture marks the third encounter between Djibouti and Liberia, with their prior clashes taking place during the AFCON qualifying phase for the 2017 edition. Djibouti, known by their moniker "Shoremen of the Red Sea," endured defeats in both legs, succumbing 1-0 on home turf and enduring a harsh 5-0 loss away, conceding a total of six goals while failing to find the back of the net themselves.

Liberia approaches these qualifiers with the ambition of clinching their third AFCON appearance, having previously graced the tournaments in 1996 and 2002. Positioned at the 152nd spot in the most recent FIFA standings, they occupy the 46th position among the 54 African teams. The Lone Stars are currently enduring a challenging phase, with eight consecutive international matches without a win, including losses in their last five encounters. Despite reaching the group stage in the previous AFCON qualifiers, Liberia's objective this time is to surpass that feat, especially after gathering just one point in the last tournament due to three losses and one draw in a group featuring Morocco, South Africa, and Zimbabwe (which was ineligible to participate).

However, Mario Marinica's squad must first navigate through this preliminary stage successfully. To secure a spot in the AFCON qualifiers' group stage, they must significantly enhance their scoring prowess, as they have failed to find the net in their previous two matches.

Liberia and Djibouti have met only twice before, with Liberia emerging victorious in both encounters. During the 2016 AFCON qualifiers, Liberia secured a 1-0 win in the initial leg and then dominated Djibouti with a 5-0 victory in the subsequent home leg.

Presently, Liberia has suffered defeats in their last five matches and has not tasted victory in their previous eight games. Djibouti, meanwhile, has not registered a win in their last three official matches. Liberia has failed to find the net in their last two games.

In terms of FIFA rankings, Djibouti occupies the 192nd position, whereas Liberia holds the 152nd spot.

Liberia is considered the stronger team based on statistics, and for clear reasons. The match is set to happen on a neutral field in Morocco, meaning that Djibouti won't benefit from home support. Djibouti has been among the least competitive teams not just in the AFCON zone but globally, lacking real quality in various aspects. However, the match is likely to be closely contested as the home team has shown progress since their previous encounter. Nevertheless, Liberia has the required strength both offensively and defensively and is expected to emerge victorious by the end of the game.