Cape Town - With the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Cup underway in South Africa, here IOL Sport profiles the chances of Mauritius.
Hollywoodbets COSAFA Cup 2022 Guide:
Mauritius, Two-time Indian Ocean Island Games winners
Mauritius Football Association
President: Mohamad Ally Samir Sobha
Website: www.mauritiusfa.mu
Established: 1952
Affiliated to FIFA: 1962
Affiliated to CAF: 1963
Honours: 1985, 2003 Indian Ocean Island Games winners
Brief History:
Mauritius caused arguably the biggest upset in COSAFA Cup history in 2004 when they beat South Africa, who had a full-strength team headed to the African Nations Cup finals in Tunisia, in the first round in Curepipe.
But Club M are still seeking to get past the quarter-final stage of the southern African championship.
In 2001, they were quarter-finalists after beating Namibia but then lost 1-0 to Angola in Luanda.
In 2004 their hopes were dashed in the last eight when they went down 3-1 to Zambia. In 2008 they suffered the indignity of a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of fellow islanders, Seychelles, the biggest defeat in the history of the competition.
The side exited the 2013 finals in the group phase despite a thumping 4-0 win over Seychelles in their final match.
Mauritius entered the 2015 COSAFA Cup with high hopes but were bundled out in the first round despite again defeating Seychelles.
And they exited in the first round again in 2016 when they managed to win just one of their three first-round games against a young Angola.
The side went out in the pool stages in 2017, 2018 and 2019, though mixed in there was a 1-0 victory over Malawi in Polokwane. That was a seventh win in 34 games at the tournament down the years.
Club M won the gold medal at the 2003 Indian Ocean Island Games, beating Reunion in the final at their newly refurbished stadium at Curepipe. Mauritius only joined COSAFA in 1999 and played in the COSAFA Cup for the first time in 2000.
A long-time participant in all African competitions, Mauritius have been a finalist at the Africa Cup of nations once before, participating in the 1974 tournament.
The country also hosted the first-ever African Under-20 championships.
COSAFA Cup record, tournament finishes:
2000 – First round
2001 – Quarter-finals
2002 – First round
2003 – First round
2004 – Quarter-finals
2005 – First round
2006 – First round
2007 – First round
2008 – First round
2009 – First round
2013 – First round
2015 – First round
2016 – First round
2017 – First round
2018 – First round
2019 – First round
2021 – Did not enter
COSAFA CUP match record (P W D L F A):
Home 5 3 0 2 7 4
Away 29 4 6 19 18 53
Total 34 7 6 21 25 57
Goalscorers:
4 goals - Appou
3 - Nazira, Pierre
2 - Louis, Sophie
1 - Balisson, Bax, Calambe, Dorza, Marmitte, Marquette, Perle, Perticots, Pithia
Own goals – Lekgetho (South Africa), Razafindrakoto (Madagascar)
COSAFA Cup records and sequences:
Biggest win: 4-0 vs Seychelles (2013)
Heaviest defeat: 0-7 vs Seychelles (2008)
Biggest home win: 2-0 vs South Africa (2004); 2-0 vs Madagascar (2005)
Biggest away win: 4-0 vs Seychelles (2013)
Heaviest home defeat: 0-3 vs South Africa (2000)
Heaviest away defeat: 0-7 vs Seychelles (2008)
Highest scoring match: 0-7 vs Seychelles (2008)
Longest winning run: 1 game (seven times)
Longest losing run: 3 games (from 10-06-01 to 11-02-03 and 23-07-08 to 21-10-09)
Longest unbeaten run: 3 games (from 27-06-17 to 28-05-18)
Longest run without a win: 11 games (from 27-03-05 to 06-07-13)
Total clean sheets: 10 matches (29.4%)
Total matches, failed to score: 17 matches (50.0%)
Clean sheets at home: 3 matches (60.0%)
Clean sheets away: 7 matches (24.1%)
Failed to score at home: 1 match (20.0%)
Failed to score away: 16 matches (55.2%)
IOL Sport