**Mauritius Aims to Improve at COSAFA U‑20 Qualifier**
Port Louis, Mauritius – The Mauritius under‑20 football team will compete in the COSAFA (Council of Southern Africa Football Associations) qualifier for the TotalEnergies CAF U‑20 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for 18–27 September 2024. The tournament will serve as a pathway to the continental finals in Ghana next year.
Mauritius has been placed in a four‑team group with Mozambique, Namibia and the Seychelles. According to the competition format, only the group winner and the best‑placed runner‑up across all groups will advance to the semifinals.
Historically, Mauritius has participated regularly at the regional under‑20 level but has not progressed beyond the group stage. The team’s most notable performance came in the 2016 edition, where it finished the group phase unbeaten with one win and two draws, narrowly missing the knockout round. Subsequent campaigns have produced mixed results:
– **2017:** Lost all three matches without scoring.
– **2018:** In a three‑team group, suffered a 5‑0 defeat to South Africa but secured a 4‑0 victory over Eswatini.
– **2019:** Drew 2‑2 with Lesotho, then lost 5‑0 to South Africa and 2‑1 to Madagascar.
– **2022:** Lost all three matches without scoring.
Mauritius previously qualified for the Africa Under‑20 Championship twice, as hosts in 1993 and again in 1995, winning one match in each tournament but failing to advance past the group stage.
The 2024 COSAFA qualifier marks Mauritius’s return to the competition after a two‑year absence; the team last appeared in the regional tournament in 2022. Team officials have expressed a goal of reaching the semifinals and securing one of the two qualification spots for the 2025 CAF U‑20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.
The tournament will be closely followed by regional football fans, with updates expected through official COSAFA channels.
Article source: allafrica.com | Image credit: COSAFA
