Intercontinental Cup, know your opponents: Mauritius football team

The Indian football team will kick off their Intercontinental Cup campaign against Mauritius in a three-team tournament that will conclude on Monday. The match against Mauritius will also mark the beginning of a new era for the Blue Tigers under new head coach Manolo Marquez, who was appointed in July.

In addition to India and Mauritius, Syria will also feature in the tournament, which will take place in Hyderabad. Syria, ranked 93rd in the FIFA rankings, is the highest-ranked team in the group, followed by hosts India, who have slipped to 124th. Mauritius, ranked 55 places below India, will be aiming to prove that they are far better than their current ranking suggests.

This tournament marks Mauritius' return to Indian shores after a period of seven years, having previously competed in the 2017 Tri-Nation Series in Mumbai.

That being said, let’s take a look at their team.

History

According to records, the men’s national team of Mauritius played their first competitive match in 1947 against Reunion, an overseas department of France, which has a rich footballing history of its own.

Despite football being the national sport, the Les Dodos have not achieved much success on the international stage.

One of the major achievements for Mauritius in international football was qualifying for the African Cup of Nations in 1974. They have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. However, since 2000, they have been regularly competing in the COSAFA Cup, a tournament featuring teams from Southern Africa, and have made 16 appearances in the competition. They reached the quarter-finals on two occasions, first in 2001 and then in 2004.

They are currently led by head coach Guillaume Moullec, who took charge of the team in May.

Form Guide - DLLLW

In March, Mauritius was defeated by Chad in a two-legged fixture during the preliminary round of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. This result extended their streak of failing to advance to the group stage of the qualification process for the fourth consecutive time.

They returned to action in May for Round One of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers but suffered a 2-1 defeat to 10-man Libya. However, Mauritius bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Eswatini in their next qualifying fixture.

Currently, Mauritius is placed fifth in their six-team Qualifying group, having earned four points from four matches, including a sole victory.

Head-to-Head Record

The two teams have met only once before, during the 2017 Tri-Nation Series. In that encounter, India secured a 2-1 victory over Mauritius in their opening match, with goals from Robin Singh and Balwant Singh.

Key Players

Adel Langue

Langue’s presence will be crucial in silencing the Indian midfielders and limiting their service to the forwards. A defensive midfielder by trade, Langue has been a part of the national team since 2015 and is renowned for his tough tackling and ability to win possession while maintaining the flow of play. The 26-year-old has also gained considerable club experience abroad, having played in Spain, Portugal, and France.

Lindsay Rose

Defender Rose, who scored in their previous win, will be expected to replicate his performance while ensuring solidity at the back. Primarily a centre-back, he has also played as a right-back on several occasions. Although he represented Mauritius at the youth level, Rose later on played for France, his country of birth, before returning to represent Mauritius and earning his first cap in 2018. He brings valuable experience from Ligue 1, as well as top leagues in Greece and Poland, having played for prominent clubs such as Lyon and Legia Warsaw.