2024 Intercontinental Cup Rival Watch: Mauritius

The African outfit will look to win the trophy in its first appearance at the tournament.

The 2024 Intercontinental Cup is right around the corner. Three teams will be participating in the tournament from 3rd September to 9th September 2024 in the city of Hyderabad, India at the G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium. Mauritius and Syria will join the Indian men’s national team for the tournament.

While this will be Syria’s second appearance at the tournament after their inclusion in the 2023 edition last year, it will be a fresh experience for Mauritius, which is the lowest-ranked country going into the 2024 Intercontinental Cup.

The bets will be on India or Syria to lift the trophy at the end but Mauritius could be spiring up a surprise and utilise the factor of the unknown to their advantage. On that note, here is a deeper look at The Dodos and what they bring to the table:

About the team

Mauritius will be participating in their first-ever Intercontinental Cup. The outfit, popularly known as Les Dodos (“the Dodos” in English), are ranked 179 in FIFA‘s Rankings for men’s national teams. Considering the historical records, the men’s national team played their first competitive match in 1947 against Reunion. These two teams, joined by Madagascar, played each other often in the Indian Ocean Games Triangulaire due to their proximity. 

One of the major achievements for Mauritius in international football was qualifying for the African Cup of Nations in 1974. They have understandably never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. 

Recent Performances

At the beginning of the year 2024, Mauritius lost their two-legged 2025 African Cup of Nations qualification fixture against Chad. Their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification fixture in June saw them face Libya which resulted in a 2-1 defeat.

However, Mauritius handed Eswatini a 2-1 defeat in the next 2026 FIFA WCQ fixture, building momentum ahead of their involvement in the 2024 Intercontinental Cup. 

The Coach

Guillaume Moullec is the head coach of the Mauritius men’s national football team. He is a former player who used to feature heavily for French club Montpellier. Before joining the Mauritius football team, the 44-year-old worked as an Assistant in the FC Lorient B team. 

During his playing days, Guillaume Moullec played extensively for French clubs like Montpellier, FC Lorient and FC Nantes among others. The tactician prefers to line his side in a  4-2-3-1 formation. It will be interesting to see how the relatively young manager strategies ahead of the 2024 Intercontinental Cup.

Players to Watch

Kevin Jean-Louis

Kevin Jean-Louis is one of the most experienced players in the squad of Mauritius for the 2024 Intercontinental Cup. He is likely to start in the goal for the side and will be hoping to keep Indian and Syrian forwards at bay. The tactician relies on the custodian to command his box well and communicate with the defensive line effectively. It will be interesting to see how he deals with the pressure and performs for the Dodos.

Adrien Francois

Adrien Francois is an important part of the forward lineup for the Mauritius national football team. The striker has all the qualities to impact any game and he can also shift in as an attacking winger for the team. However, it remains to be seen if he can perform under pressure. There will be large periods without possession of the ball where Francois must press intently and help the team win the ball back in the opponent’s half.

Adel Langue

Mauritius has several impactful players in the midfield and one of them is Adel Langue. He is one of the more seasoned individuals in the squad. The midfielder brings composure and technical ability to the national team. He can play in a deeper role or an advanced position as per the needs of the team. Winning the battle of the midfield is going to be vital where Langue could impress.

What to expect from Mauritius during 2024 Intercontinental Cup?

Mauritius are a clear underdog heading into the 2024 Intercontinental Cup. Syria and India are heavy favourites to be fighting for the trophy. However, this could work in favour of the Dodos as they have the “unknown” factor. 

It’s not entirely wild to assume that Mauritius can cause a huge upset at the upcoming tournament. The Indian team will be under intense pressure as the hosts and the tournament will be Manolo Marquez’s first test after taking over the head coach position, succeeding Igor Stimac.

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