Southern Africa: Mauritius Back to Show Their Improvement At Cosafa Qualifier

27 August 2026
Council of Southern African Football Associations (Johannesburg)

Mauritius will seek to show their potential at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier that will be staged from September 18-27, as they return to the regional showpiece for the first time since 2022.

They are in a pool alongside Mozambique, Namibia and fellow islanders Seychelles, with only the top side in each pool and the best-placed runner-up advancing to the semifinals.

Mauritius have been long-time competitors at this age-group level but have yet to make it out of the pool stages, something they will target this time around as they look to be one of the two teams that qualify for the continental finals in Ghana next year.

Having taken just a single point from six matches in the two tournaments before the 2016 showpiece, they came within a whisker of reaching the knockout stages that year.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

They needed to beat Angola in their final pool game to advance, but were held to a 1-1 draw to end the campaign unbeaten with a win and two draws, their best showing to date in the competition.

But that was followed by disappointment in 2017 when they lost all three of their games without scoring a goal.

There was an improved showing in 2018 in a shortened three-team pool as a 5-0 loss to South Africa was followed by a 4-0 victory over Eswatini, while in 2019 they drew with Lesotho (2-2) but lost to South Africa (5-0) and Madagascar (2-1).

Their only appearance since then was in 2022, when they lost all three games without scoring a goal.

Mauritius have twice before qualified for the Africa Under-20 Championship, once as hosts in 1993 and then again in 1995.

They won one game at each of those finals but did not advance past the pool stages.

MAURITIUS COSAFA UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP FINISHES SINCE 20002000 - Group stages

2001 - Group stages

2002 - Group stages

2003 - Group stages

2004 - Group stages

2005 - Group stages

2006 - Group stages

2007 - Group stages

2008 - Group stages

2010 - Group stages

2011 - Group stages

2013 - Group stages

2016 - Group stages

2017 - Group stages

2018 - Group stages

2019 - Group stages

2022 - Group stages

Read the original article on Cosafa.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2026 Council of Southern African Football Associations. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.