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Mauritius national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Mauritius women's national football team.
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Mauritius
Nickname(s) Club M
Les Dodos (The Dodos)
Association Mauritius Football Association
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation COSAFA (Southern Africa)
Head coach Fidy Rasoanaivo
Captain Kevin Jean-Louis
Most caps Henri Speville (72)
Top scorer Daniel Imbert (17)
Home stadium Stade George V
FIFA code MRI
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 156 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 112 (December 1992)
Lowest 197 (November 2013)
Elo ranking
Current 184 Decrease 2 (3 March 2019)
Highest 46 (November 1968)
Lowest 187 (6 August 2011)
First international
 Mauritius 2–1 Réunion Réunion
(Madagascar; Date Unknown 1947)
Biggest win
 Mauritius 15–2 Réunion Réunion
(Madagascar; Date Unknown 1950)
Biggest defeat
 Egypt 7–0 Mauritius 
(Port Said, Egypt; 8 June 2003)
 Seychelles 7–0 Mauritius 
(Witbank, South Africa; 19 July 2008)
 Senegal 7–0 Mauritius 
(Dakar, Senegal; 9 October 2010)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances 1 (first in 1974)
Best result Group stage (1974)
COSAFA Cup
Appearances 16 (first in 2000)
Best result Quarter-finals (2001, 2004)

The Mauritius national football team (French: Équipe de Maurice de football), nicknamed Club M and Les Dodos (The Dodos), is the national team of Mauritius. They are overseen by the Mauritius Football Association, which is a member of FIFA, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA). The head coach is Fidy Rasoanaivo.

Their most significant achievements are qualification for the 1974 African Cup of Nations, and winning the Indian Ocean Island Games football tournament in 1985 and 2003. They have also been a finalist in this competition in 1990, 2011 and 2019.

History

Early years

Mauritius played its first competitive international game in 1947 against Réunion, which they won 2–1. For the next twenty years, they would only play Réunion and Madagascar (probably due to the proximity of the three islands to each other) in friendlies and the Indian Ocean Games Triangulaire, which existed from 1947 to 1963. Mauritius won the competition ten times over that time period, were runners-up twice, and came in third once.

1960s–1990s

Starting in 1967, Mauritius began competing against other countries, playing friendlies and entering in such competitions as the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, though they haven't found much success. While they have never qualified for the World Cup finals, they have qualified once for the Africa Cup of Nations, in 1974, however, they were eliminated in the group stages. Mauritius did manage to win the resurrected Indian Ocean Games in 1985. In 1999, after deadly riots caused by supporters of Scouts Club (renamed as Port Louis Sporting Club) angry about a controversial penalty awarded to Fire Brigade Sports Club (now renamed as Pamplemousses SC) in the championship deciding game, which gave Fire Brigade a 1–0 win, all domestic football was suspended for 18 months, and only the national team was allowed to play. This is regarded as the point at which Mauritian football, both on the domestic and international stage, started on a downward slope.

2000s–present

Throughout the new millennium, the national team's performances progressively declined. From a high of the 116th place in the FIFA rankings in 2000, they tumbled down to an all-time low of the 195th place in the summer of 2011.

A peak was reached in 2003, when Mauritius convincingly won the 2003 Indian Ocean Island Games, on home soil, under head coach Akbar Patel. They followed up with a 3-1 home win over Uganda in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualification (CAF) first round in November 2003, although Uganda progressed on aggregate. Mauritius then reached the quarterfinals of the 2004 COSAFA Cup, beating South Africa 2–0 in January 2004. Mauritius eventually lost out 3–1 to the tournament's favorites Zambia. In the next few years, the team would go through a slump in performance, suffering their biggest defeats in the process and recording few official wins. Mauritius have also cycled through many head coaches, especially since the new millennium, but none have had true success.

During the 2017 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, Les Dodos achieved their best results in a decade, defeating both Mozambique and Rwanda. However, they were unable to build on these wins, losing to Comoros and then São Tomé and Príncipe in the preliminary round of the next two editions. In the 2023 AFCoN qualifiers, Mauritius faced São Tomé again in the preliminary round and lost 1–0 in the first leg and drew 3–3 at home, failing to progress. Following the result, CAF ruled that one of the São Tomé players was not eligible, awarding Mauritius a 3–0 victory and sending them into the group stages for the first time since 2017. However, this decision was reversed, following an appeal by São Tomé.

In 2023, Mauritius recorded impressive wins vs Kenya (1-0), who were in the FIFA rankings' top 100, and Angola (1-0; 0-0). However, in the 2025 AFCoN qualifiers, Mauritius lost to Chad in the preliminary round, marking four consecutive unsuccessful attempts to reach the group stage of the qualification round.

Team image

Media coverage

For most home games of significant importance, the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation provides televised coverage.

Kit providers

Kit provider Period
Germany Puma 1985–1998
Mauritius Allsports 1998–2003
United States Nike 2003–2006
Mauritius Allsports 2006–2009
Germany Adidas 2009–2017
Spain Joma 2017–2019
Germany Adidas 2019–2022
Italy Macron 2022–2023
India Nivia 2023–Present

Supporters' groups

On 30 May 2011, the official fan club of Club M, Kop Moris, was launched. it was a massive moment for the entire country of Mauritius. The objective of this club is to build up excitement for Mauritius' games, fill up the stands as much as possible, and create a festive and family-friendly atmosphere. This fan club is officially sanctioned by the MFA.

Stadium

Mauritius now plays the majority of its games at the modern Complexe Sportif de Côte d'Or (cap. 7,000). Matches were previously hosted at Stade Anjalay (cap. 18,000) for high-profile matches, and Stade George V (cap. 6,200).

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023

2024

Staff

Current staff

Position Name
Head coach Madagascar Fidy Rasoanaivo
Technical director Madagascar Didier Rakotodrianaina
Team manager Madagascar Laurent Andrianamalala
Assistant coach Madagascar Benjamin Andrianomenjanarahy
Physiotherapist Madagascar Loïc Andriarakotovao
Head of Delegation Madagascar Didier Rakotodrianaina

Managerial history

  • England Harry Brophy (1957–59)
  • Mauritius Joseph Le Roy (1959–63)
  • Scotland Danny McLennan (1963–64)
  • Mauritius Mohammad Anwar Elahee (1970–88)
  • Germany Helmut Kosmehl (1976–88)
  • Germany Rudi Gutendorf (1993)
  • Mauritius Mohammad Anwar Elahee (1994–96)
  • Mauritius Akbar Patel (1996-97)
  • Germany Rudi Gutendorf (1997)
  • Mauritius Ashok Chundunsing (1998)
  • Mauritius Rajen Dorasami & Mauritius France L'Aiguille (1998–02)
  • France Patrick Parizon (2002–03)
  • Mauritius Akbar Patel & Mauritius Saoud Lallmahomed (2003)
  • Mauritius Elvis Antoine & Mauritius Rajesh Gunesh (2003–05)
  • Mauritius Sarjoo Gowreesunkur (2006)
  • Mauritius Rajen Dorasami & Mauritius France L'Aiguille (2006)
  • Mauritius Akbar Patel (2007)
  • Mauritius Ashok Chundunsing (2007–08)
  • Mauritius Benjamin Théodore (2008–09)
  • Mauritius Akbar Patel (2009–14)
  • France Didier Six (2015)
  • France Alain Happe (2015–16)
  • Belgium Joe Tshupula (2016–17)
  • Brazil Francisco Filho (2017–18)
  • Mauritius Akbar Patel (2018–19)
  • Algeria Boualem Mankour (2020–2021)
  • Mauritius Tony François (2021–2023)
  • Madagascar Fidy Rasoanaivo (2023–present)

Players

Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2023 COSAFA Cup.

Caps and goals as of 12 July 2023, after the game against Mozambique.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Kevin Jean-Louis (1989-06-27) 27 June 1989 (age 34) 59 0 Mauritius Pamplemousses
1GK Loïc Michel (2002-07-06) 6 July 2002 (age 21) 7 0 Mauritius Roche-Bois Bolton City
1GK Jininio Darbon (2003-11-07) 7 November 2003 (age 20) 2 0 Mauritius Centre Technique National
2DF Emmanuel Vincent (1997-08-27) 27 August 1997 (age 26) 44 1 Réunion Saint-Denis FC
2DF Damien Balisson (1996-10-28) 28 October 1996 (age 27) 43 1 Mauritius Cercle de Joachim
2DF Walter Duprey St. Martin (1984-07-07) 7 July 1984 (age 39) 23 1 Mauritius Pamplemousses
2DF Yannick Aristide (2001-03-15) 15 March 2001 (age 23) 14 1 Mauritius Cercle de Joachim
2DF Jordan François (2002-05-05) 5 May 2002 (age 21) 8 0 Mauritius Centre Technique National
3MF Francis Rasolofonirina (1986-07-22) 22 July 1986 (age 37) 48 2 Mauritius AS Vacoas-Phoenix
3MF Adel Langue (1997-09-17) 17 September 1997 (age 26) 35 0 France Red Star F.C. B
3MF Adrien Botlar (1996-09-19) 19 September 1996 (age 27) 22 0 Mauritius Pamplemousses
3MF Hans Patate (1998-09-09) 9 September 1998 (age 25) 20 1 Mauritius Petite Rivière Noire
3MF Stéphan Nabab (1992-02-29) 29 February 1992 (age 32) 18 1 Mauritius Port-Louis 2000
3MF David Aristide (2002-02-01) 1 February 2002 (age 22) 15 0 Mauritius GRSE Wanderers
3MF Wilson Moutou (2002-04-08) 8 April 2002 (age 22) 14 0 Mauritius Centre Technique National
3MF Fabrice Brasse (1996-07-15) 15 July 1996 (age 27) 13 0 Mauritius Roche-Bois Bolton City
3MF Fernando Jackson (1999-03-11) 11 March 1999 (age 25) 12 0 Réunion ACF Piton Saint-Leu
3MF Kengy Saramandif (1997-05-10) 10 May 1997 (age 26) 10 1 Mauritius Pamplemousses
3MF Pascal Colin (1996-04-07) 7 April 1996 (age 28) 8 0 Mauritius Starlight
3MF Keane Steeler Hortense (1997-11-28) 28 November 1997 (age 26) 0 0
4FW Adrien François (1999-08-26) 26 August 1999 (age 24) 28 4 Mauritius GRSE Wanderers
4FW Ashley Nazira (1995-11-11) 11 November 1995 (age 28) 27 10 Réunion Saint-Pauloise
4FW Aurélien François (2003-10-29) 29 October 2003 (age 20) 5 1 Mauritius Centre Technique National

Recent call ups

The following players have also been called up to the Mauritius squad within the last twelve months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
DF Mervyn Jocelyn (1991-08-21) 21 August 1991 (age 32) 19 1 Mauritius Pamplemousses 2023 Mauritius Four Nations Cup
DF Lindsay Rose (captain) (1992-02-08) 8 February 1992 (age 32) 10 0 Greece Aris 2023 Mauritius Four Nations Cup
DF Dylan Collard (2000-04-16) 16 April 2000 (age 24) 4 1 Portugal Marítimo 2023 Mauritius Four Nations Cup
MF Kévin Bru (1988-12-12) 12 December 1988 (age 35) 24 2 France C'Chartres 2023 Mauritius Four Nations Cup
MF Jeremie Villeneuve (1994-04-25) 25 April 1994 (age 29) 17 1 France Créteil 2023 Mauritius Four Nations Cup
MF Jean Denis Desrougere (1998-12-28) 28 December 1998 (age 25) 0 0 Mauritius Port-Louis 2000 2023 Mauritius Four Nations Cup

Player records

Players in bold are still active with Mauritius.

Most appearances

Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Henri Speville 72 1 1995–2007
2 Jimmy Cundasamy 69 4 1997–2014
3 Jean Gilbert Bayaram 64 1 1995–2008
4 Kevin Jean-Louis 62 0 2009–present
5 Andy Sophie 57 11 2007–present
6 Daniel Imbert 53 17 1972–1983
7 Jean-Marc Ithier 50 11 1988–2003
Christopher Perle 50 11 1995–2007
Francis Rasolofonirina 50 2 2015–present
10 Jerry Louis 49 4 1999–2011

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Daniel Imbert 17 53 0.32 1972–1983
2 Jean-Yves L'Enflé 15 29 0.52 1976–1984
3 Regis Jean 13 – – 1947–1955
Roland Desvaux de Marigny 13 – – 1949–1955
5 France Martin 12 – – 1947–1950
Doona Raman 12 – – 1953–1957
7 Ashley Nazira 11 33 0.33 2015–present
Kersley Appou 11 46 0.24 1993–2014
Jean-Marc Ithier 11 50 0.22 1988–2003
Christopher Perle 11 50 0.22 1995–2007
Andy Sophie 11 57 0.19 2007–present

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1950 Part of  United Kingdom Part of  United Kingdom
1954 to 1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1966 and 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3 5
1978 and 1982 Did not enter Did not enter
Mexico 1986 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 5
Italy 1990 Banned by FIFA Banned by FIFA
United States 1994 Did not enter Did not enter
France 1998 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 7
South Korea Japan 2002 2 0 0 2 2 6
Germany 2006 2 1 0 1 3 4
South Africa 2010 6 0 1 5 3 17
Brazil 2014 Withdrew during qualifying Withdrew during qualifying
Russia 2018 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 2 5
Qatar 2022 2 0 0 2 0 3
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 2 0 1 1 0 3
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/15 21 1 4 16 14 52

Africa Cup of Nations

Main page: Mauritius at the Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Not affiliated to CAF
United Arab Republic 1959
Ethiopia 1962
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965
Ethiopia 1968 Did not qualify
Sudan 1970
Cameroon 1972
Egypt 1974 Group stage 8th 3 0 0 3 2 8
Ethiopia 1976 Did not qualify
Nigeria 1980
Libya 1982
Ivory Coast 1984
Egypt 1986
Morocco 1988 Withdrew
Algeria 1990 Did not qualify
Senegal 1992
Tunisia 1994
South Africa 1996
Burkina Faso 1998
Ghana Nigeria 2000
Mali 2002
Tunisia 2004
Egypt 2006
Ghana 2008
Angola 2010
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012
South Africa 2013 Did not enter
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Did not qualify
Gabon 2017
Egypt 2019
Cameroon 2021
Ivory Coast 2023
Morocco 2025 To be determined
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027
Total Round 1 1/36 3 0 0 3 2 8

Head-to-head record

 Mauritius 1–0 Rwanda 

Honours

Main page: Mauritius at the Indian Ocean Games Triangulaire
  • Indian Ocean Games Triangulaire
    • Champions (10): 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957
  • Indian Ocean Games
    • Champions (2): 1985, 2003

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Mauricio para niños

  • Mauritius national under-17 football team
  • Mauritius national under-20 football team
  • Mauritius national beach soccer team
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