# Zanzibar national football team

The Zanzibar national football team represents Zanzibar in international football and is controlled by the Zanzibar Football Federation.

## History

Zanzibar is not a member of FIFA and is therefore not eligible to enter the World Cup. The island is part of the nation of the United Republic of Tanzania, which holds FIFA recognition at the international level. Prior to the union of Zanzibar and Tanganyika in 1964, Zanzibar was a fully independent member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), but never qualified for the African Nations Cup.
Zanzibar was a provisional member of the N.F.-Board. The team placed second in the 2006 FIFI Wild Cup tournament, losing 4–1 on penalties to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the final. For that tournament, they were coached by the German comedian Oliver Pocher.
Their U-20 team also played in the 2006 ELF Cup, finishing fourth of eight, winning one game (1–0 against Kyrgyzstan's national football team) and drawing twice (against Gagauzia and Greenland) before losing 5–0 to Northern Cyprus in the semifinal. They regularly play in the CECAFA Cup, which includes national teams from Central and East Africa, and in 1995 they became champions, winning the final match 1–0 against the host nation, Uganda.
In March 2017, Zanzibar were admitted to CAF, becoming its 55th member, only for their membership to be rescinded four months later, with CAF president Ahmad Ahmad claiming the region should never have been admitted as it is not a sovereign nation.
Zanzibar won their first international trophy with the 2025 Mapinduzi Cup after defeating Burkina Faso 2–1 in the final.

## Coaching history

* Gheorghe Dungu (1972–1974)
* Oliver Pocher (2005–2006)
* Abdel-Fattah Abbas (2006–2008)
* Souleymane Sané (2008–2011)
* Stewart Hall (2010)
* Hemed "Morocco" Suleiman (2017–2021)
* Hababuu Ali Omar (2021–present)

## Notable players

* Ally Badru – played for El Qanah and Al Bashaer

## Records

    As of 14 December 2019
    Players in bold are still active with Zanzibar.

## Competition records
### CECAFA Cup

Zanzibar competed in the Gossage Cup from 1949 to 1967, when the competition was renamed to the East and Central African Senior Challenge Cup:
Gossage Cup record :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 1947 | Fourth Place | 4th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 1948 | Third Place | 3rd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 1949 | Fourth Place | 4th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1950 | Fourth Place | 4th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 1951 | Third Place | 3rd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1952 | Third Place | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 1953 | Third Place | 3rd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 1954 | Fourth Place | 4th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 1955 | Third Place | 3rd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - |
| 1956 | Third Place | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| 1957 | Third Place | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 1958 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 1959 | Runners-Up | 2nd | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| 1960 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| 1961 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 15 |
| 1962 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| 1963 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 1964 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 1965 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 |
| 1966 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Total | Runners-up | 20/37 | 41 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 37 | 141 |
East and Central African Senior Challenge Cup record :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D * | L | GF | GA |
| 1967 | Third Place | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 1968 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| 1969 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| 1970 | Third Place | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 1971 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Total | Third place | 5/5 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 41 |
CECAFA Cup record :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D * | L | GF | GA |
| 1973 | Group stage | 5th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 1974 | Third place | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 1975 | Group stage | 6th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 1976 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 1977 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 1978 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1979 | Fourth place | 4th | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 1980 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 1981 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 1982 | Fourth place | 4th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 1983 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 1984 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 1985 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1987 | Fourth slace | 4th | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 1988 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 1989 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 1991 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 1992 | Group stage | 8th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 14 |
| 1994 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1995 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| 1996 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 1999 | Group stage | 10th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2000 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2001 | Group stage | 10th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 2002 | Group stage | 7th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2003 | Group stage | 5th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2004 | Group stage | 7th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 11 |
| 2005 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 |
| 2006 | Group stage | 9th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2007 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| 2008 | Group stage | 8th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 2009 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| 2010 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 2011 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 2012 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 2013 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 2015 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 2017 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
| 2019 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 1 title | 36/40 | 124 | 29 | 32 | 63 | 100 | 184 |

### Africa Cup of Nations

In March 2017, Zanzibar were admitted to the Confederation of African Football, becoming eligible for the Africa Cup of Nations. The invitation was rescinded in July when FIFA rules forbade two teams from one nation.
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
| African Cup of Nations |||||||||
| 1957–1963 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1965–2023 | Ineligible | Ineligible | Ineligible | Ineligible | Ineligible | Ineligible | Ineligible | Ineligible |

### Non-FIFA tournaments
#### World tournaments

World tournaments record :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| FIFI Wild Cup and ELF Cup |||||||||
| 2006 | Runners-up | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 |
| 2006 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| VIVA World Cup |||||||||
| 2006 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2008 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2009 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2010 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2012 | Third Place | 3rd | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 4 |
| CONIFA World Football Cup |||||||||
| 2014 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 2016 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2018 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| Total | Third Place | 3/10 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 19 |

## Honours
### Regional

* CECAFA Cup
** Winners (1): 1995
** Runners-up (1): 2017
** Third place (3): 2005, 2009, 2012

### Non-FIFA competitions

* FIFI Wild Cup
** Runners-up (1): 2006
* Viva World Cup
** Third place (1): 2012
* Mapinduzi Cup
** Champions (1): 2025