The Mauritius women’s national football team concluded their campaign at the 2024 Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship with a series of challenging results, exiting at the group stage without a win. Despite the setbacks, the competition offered the team valuable exposure and an important learning experience on the regional stage.

Drawn in Group B alongside Malawi, Botswana, and Madagascar, Mauritius faced a tough assignment from the outset. Their three group-stage matches ended in defeat, highlighting the gap in experience and development compared to some of the stronger teams in Southern Africa.

Mauritius opened the tournament against a well-organized Madagascar side. Despite a 5-1 loss, the match marked a historic moment for Mauritian women’s football, as the team scored their first-ever goal in COSAFA Women’s Championship history – a small but symbolic achievement in their ongoing development.

The second match saw Mauritius outplayed by Botswana, who capitalized on defensive gaps to record a comfortable 5-0 win. The Mauritian team showed moments of effort and teamwork but struggled to contain the physicality and pace of their opponents.

Facing defending champions Malawi in their final group fixture, Mauritius endured their heaviest defeat of the tournament, going down 9-0. Malawi’s dominant display ensured their place in the semi-finals, while Mauritius finished bottom of the group.

The 2024 edition marked Mauritius’s fourth appearance at the COSAFA Women’s Championship, following entries in 2017, 2019, and 2022. Once again, the team was unable to progress beyond the group phase, but their participation is viewed as part of a broader effort to grow the women’s game domestically.

The team was composed primarily of players under the age of 23, many of whom were representing Mauritius in a senior competition for the first time. With limited international match experience, their participation was seen as a long-term investment in player development.

Looking ahead, Mauritius will focus on building a more competitive side for future editions. The High-Performance Centre (HPC) and youth development initiatives, including collaborations with clubs and schools, are expected to strengthen the women’s football pipeline.

The goal against Madagascar, though minor in the context of the tournament, represents a glimmer of progress – a first step toward becoming more competitive at the regional level.

Mauritius’s campaign at the 2024 COSAFA Women’s Championship may not have delivered victories, but it reinforced the importance of exposure, resilience, and long-term planning. With continued support, the national women’s team aims to turn experience into success in the years to come.