AFCON 2027 (Q): Mauritius's new ambitions amidst uncertainties

«We can no longer hide.» A member of the Mauritian national team for a decade, Adel Langue has known everything, from memorable victories against Mozambique or Rwanda with the captain’s band at 18 years old to friendly slaps against Togo (6-0) through the elimination in the qualifying round at AFCON 2023 against Sao Tome and Principe. We have made a lot of progress in recent years. We don’t hold the ball anymore, we have a better defensive base, so we must now make it happen by qualifying, he says.

Midfielder trained at Joachim’s Circle, like many other internationals, Langue has traveled the globe without success, the fault of administrative delays or non-sporting issues beyond his control; the recruiter pushing for his visit to Paris FC, Rachid Khlifi, signing for example in Liverpool. Currently playing in La Réunion, he was however the pioneer of the new generation of Mauritian players who today export with more ease, from right back Wilson Mootoo (Czech Republic) or defensive midfielder William François (Slovakia).

How did Mauritania compensate for physical deficit?
After their best qualifying campaign at a World Cup (one win, three draws, six defeats) punctuated by the second to last place ahead of Eswatini, Mauritius had the satisfaction of not having been dropped even against Cape Verde (defeat 1-0 and 0-2 with late goals) or in Cameroon at home (0-2 with a goal by Mbeumo in added on time).

"Often, we keep the pace for 60 or 70 minutes before undergoing in the last fifteen minutes because we physically crack,"

 explains coach Guillaume Moullec.

 " It’s logical, we have players who work in their daily lives, who are not used to playing in very high intensity championships either, but they always give their all."

Regardless of the athletic and physiological limits of the Mauritians, often jostled on phases stopped because of a deficit in size compared to the continent’s nations, the M Club strives to properly revive from behind and build more.

 " When I started, the national team was more into kick & run, long balls except that we didn’t have many physical players, so it was complicated", 

remembers Langue. «The mentality has also changed with Kévin and Jonathan (editor’s note, the Bru brothers who came to the team knowing that Jonathan also held the position of national technical director after the end of his career). Then today, it has nothing to do with it because we have a better formation and players who are abroad a bit everywhere: England, Australia, France, Greece, Portugal, New Zealand...

A combination of locals and elements drawn from his diaspora around the world, Maurice based his strategy on a defensive foundation composed around the captain, Lindsay Rose, and Dylan Collard, the giant (2m01) born in Sydney from a Mauritian father who evolves in Portuguese D2.

 «We try to bring this serenity», confirms Rose.

 “We may have more experience in our club careers, so it’s up to us to reassure, to lead the way, but it’s a whole. This group has created a collective experience on and off the field. Anyone can be absent, the person who will replace him will be at the level because there is emulation and the common desire to succeed''.

Supervised by a few former players, including 'uncle' Kevin Jean-Louis as the second goalkeeper, the Dodos remain a small African nation, both demographically (1.2 million inhabitants) and in the FIFA ranking (177th), which was however respected wherever it went. "We feel that the looks on us have changed," continues Rose. «It’s not perfect, we still need to make progress on many points but no one takes us lightly because we can complicate their life even if we are only Mauritius.»

Several incumbents injured or without clubs
Qualified once in the AFCON, during the edition 74 having defeated Lesotho (1-5 in total) and Tanzania (1-1, 3 shots on goal at 4) in the qualifiers, the Club M knows that the task will be (very) arduous and will first go through the preliminary round against Somalia.

If the Ocean Stars have finally been able to play several matches thanks to the last qualification campaign for the World Cup, they still cannot receive an official match in Mogadishu due to the lack of an approved stadium and suffer from offensive limits. In progress, as evidenced by a victory against Bahrain in a friendly (1-2), Somalia relies on an assembly of local players and its diaspora scattered here and there around captain Abdulsamed Abdullahi (D1 Serbian).

Favourite, Mauritius however knows many jolts. Initially at the start, the result of latent internal conflicts, the coach Guillaume Moullec was finally retained. Absorbed by his various missions within the CAF, the president of the federation, Samir Sobha, had finally intervened to restore order and especially clarity within the selection.

Nevertheless, several starters have not had a club for a few months, including the young expatriate Mauritians who form the defensive base: full-back Wilson Mootoo and defensive midfielder William François. With the injuries of two starters, central defender Dylan Collard and wing forward Jérémy Villeneuve, the local reservoir is heavily impacted due to its smallness.

This is how the immortal Kévin Bru (37 years old), whose professional club career ended in 2024, was included in the list since he continued to maintain himself physically. A welcome experience at a pivotal moment when Mauritius will need more than ever everyone to validate the progress seen in recent years.