Mauritius held Somalia to a draw away from home last weekend but Somalia have proven to be a better away outfit. This will be a nervy encounter but I fancy Somalia here.
Key Stats - Mauritius Struggling for Goals
- Mauritius have drawn 2 of their last 5 fixtures.
- Mauritius have scored 1 goal in 5 matches.
- Mauritius have conceded 7 goals in 5 games.
- Somalia have won 2 of their last 5 fixtures.
- Somalia have scored 3 goals in 5 matches.
- Somalia have conceded 5 goals in 5 games.
Draw Last Week
Somalia held Mauritius to a goalless draw in their only previous encounter last week.
Mauritius have Scored One Goal in their last Five Games
Mauritius failed to find an opening to score a winning goal against Somalia in their Africa Cup of Nations first-leg qualifier last weekend, drawing 0-0.
Before that, Mauritius contested four FIFA World Cup qualifiers towards the end of last year. They lost 2-0 to Cape Verde, 3-1 to Angola, and 2-0 to Cameroon in FIFA World Cup qualifiers before drawing 0-0 with Libya.
Les Dodos have drawn two of their last five matches, with three defeats. They scored one goal and conceded seven.
Mauritius will aim to use their home-ground advantage to beat Somalia; however, they will need to be clinical upfront, as they have been lacking goals recently.
Somalia Looking Good despite Home Draw
Somalia had to settle for a share of the spoils in the AFCON preliminary round match against Mauritius last weekend, drawing 0-0.
Before that, Somalia competed against Bahrain in two international friendlies this past November, winning 2-1 and 1-0.
The Ocean Stars have won two of their last five fixtures, with three defeats. They scored three goals and conceded five.
Somalia will draw upon their recent success away from home to beat Mauritius in the second leg and advance to the next round of qualification.
Mauritius vs Somalia Squads
Mauritius
Goalkeepers: Kevin Jean Louis, Dorian Chiotti, Christopher Caserne
Defenders: Jordan Francois, Leon Alizart, Rosario Latouchent, Brendon Citorah, Emmanuel Vincent, Lindsay Rose, Bradley Antoine, Wilson Mootoo
Midfielders: Kentiss Bhugeerathee, Adel Langue, William Francois, Adrien Botlar, Gabriel Caliste, Kevin Bru, Kevin Perticots, Adrien Francois, Fernando Jackson
Forwards: Jason Ferre, Ashley Nazira, Linley Rita
Somalia
Goalkeepers: Abdirahman Mohamud Jamaac, Ibrahim Ahmed Hussen, Said Aleley Hassan
Defenders: Abel Gigli, Ali Mohamed Omar, Mahmoud Ali, Ahmed Abdullahi Abdi, Abdulle Abdullahi Abdulle, Faysal Abubakar Osman, Abdiweli Abdirahman Mohamed, Mohamed Hassan Mohamed
Midfielders: Jarma Ibrahim Abdi, Abdirahman Mohamud Sharif, Ilyas Akram Khamis, Omar Hassan Jamaac, Abdisamad Abdullahi, Mukhtar Abdi Suleyman
Forwards: Zakaria Nur Abdullahi, Yusuf Ali Ahmed, Sakariya Hassan, Isse Adan Yusuf, Abdulqadir Adan Enow, Mohamed Abdullahi Awad