The Dodos will not take part in the AFCON 2027 qualifying phase. Beaten 4–2 on penalties at home in Côte d’Or by Somalia on Tuesday 31st of March 2026 , in a sold-out stadium, Lindsay Rose and his teammates now face a complete halt in their international activities as they await the next FIFA window, the date of which is yet to be confirmed.
Disappointment was evident on the faces of Guillaume Moullec, his staff, and the Mauritian players. The defeat—cruel in nature—came down to the dreaded penalty shootout. “It’s a huge disappointment. We really wanted to reward all the work we’ve put in over the past two years by qualifying. A lot of work has been done, but there’s still a lot missing for this team to truly perform,” said head coach Guillaume Moullec in his post-match reaction.
This loss denies Mauritius a place in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers and could put pressure on the French coach, whose record remains modest (1 win, 8 draws, and 7 defeats in 16 matches across all competitions).
The frustration stems largely from the team’s lack of efficiency in front of goal. Mauritius returned from Maputo with a hopeful 0–0 draw, but despite strong home support, they struggled to impose themselves against a timid Somalia side that grew in confidence as the game progressed.
For this match, Moullec opted for a different attacking profile, starting Yannick Aristide ahead of Ashley Nazira. “Compared to the first leg, we changed the striker’s profile. Their two defenders were tall and strong, so we wanted more pace. We managed that in several phases. Just because a striker isn’t 1.90m tall doesn’t mean he can’t be effective. There are different profiles to trouble opponents,” he explained.
However, the decision did not pay off. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work, but there was a clear objective,” he added.
The match itself was slow and lacked clear chances, although Mauritius started brightly, pushing Somalia back into their own half and controlling midfield. The first real opportunity, however, fell to Somalia in the 21st minute, when Mohamed Awad’s cross found Faysal Abubakar Osman Omar, but goalkeeper Dorian Chiotti reacted well.
Five minutes later, Aristide managed to get past the Somali defense, but his effort went well wide of Alee’s goal. Overall, clear chances were few and far between for both sides.
The second half offered slightly more action. Just three minutes after the restart, Emmanuel Vincent attempted a header from a wide free-kick delivered by William François, but fell short.
The defining moment of the match came with less than 15 minutes remaining, when Mauritius found the back of the net from a free-kick situation. However, Nigerien referee Ali Brahamaou Sadou disallowed the goal, having not yet blown his whistle.
The match ultimately went to penalties. Mohamed Awad converted the first for Somalia, with captain Lindsay Rose responding in kind. Ilyay Akram and Abdulrahman Mohammoud Shraif also scored for Somalia. For Mauritius, Alizert (second taker) and Kevin Perticots (fourth taker) missed their attempts, handing Somalia qualification.
