11 November 2011 - Maybe They Needed A Longer Break

On 11 November 2011, São Tomé and Príncipe played their first World Cup qualifier after an eight-year hiatus. They lost 5-0.

An African island nation located in the Gulf of Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe formed their football team in the 1970s and played their first match, a 5-0 loss to Chad, in 1976. They either did not enter or withdrew from World Cup qualification until 2002, when they lost to Sierra Leone in the first round of CAF qualification by the aggregate score of 2-4 over two legs.

They did even worse in 2006 qualification, losing to Libya in the first round 9-0 on aggregate. Afterward, they decided not to try for the 2010 World Cup ad withdrew from the qualifying process.

With eight years to recalibrate, São Tomé and Príncipe chose to compete for the 2014 World Cup, opening their campaign with a two-legged tie against Congo and promptly lost the first leg at home, 5-0, on 11 November. They did better in the second leg, playing to a 1-1 draw, but it was not enough as the 6-1 aggregate deficit eliminated them.