need to play as many qualifying games
as Europe.
“I’m in a WhatsApp group with Kevin
Bru and some of the other overseas
players. All the overseas players want
to play. This is my dream and I want
to show Mauritius in Africa.
“It’s a big honour for us. But it’s a
disaster for Mauritius that they stopped
the league. If they can’t play, then we
can’t qualify.”
And there lies the rub. The Mauritian
national league has not been completed
since 2019. In March 2020, the Super
League stopped with Grande Riviere
ahead of Bolton City on goal difference
on 30 points after13 rounds but never
resumed.
As COVID-19 restrictions eased,
a new season started. Grande Riviere
established a commanding15-point
league at the top but games ceased
in March 2021, again after13 rounds.
Since then, there has been no club
football at all.
Incredibly, a national team is
expected to play its most important
set of matches in two years with a pool
of local players who have not played
any matches for a year.
New coach Tony Francois did get
to take his team to Nepal for a pairof friendlies at the start of 2022,
which were both lost1-0. The team
went on a training camp in Portugal
and played local sides. There was also
a 0-0 friendly draw at home to
Seychelles, but the lack of regular
club football is hardly ideal.
Francois met overseas-based players
for the first time in the week before the
AFCON games, while others like Rose
and Bru return after lengthy absences.
The ageing but influential Bru – now
in France with Versailles – has managed
19 appearances in just over a decade
but remains committed to the cause.
“The last time I played was three yearsPre-match photo...
Mauritius players
before kick-off
(Credit: MFA)