In the 10th round of African World Cup qualifying, Mauritius will face Libya on Monday, 13 October, at 18:00 Central European Time. Here’s what to expect from the match.
Mauritius
The Mauritius national team ranks 179th in the FIFA standings, making them one of the underdogs in African football. They have struggled in qualifiers and are currently on an 11-match winless streak, with their last win coming last year against Eswatini, where they won 2-1.
Goals have been hard to come by for Mauritius, as they’ve scored only once in their last six matches. They suffered consecutive 0-2 losses to Cameroon and Cape Verde, and lost 1-3 to Angola. In the group standings, Mauritius is fifth, with 5 points and a goal difference of 7:17.
In the first leg against Libya, they lost 1-2, despite a competitive performance.
Libya
Libya has had a strong qualifying campaign, losing only once in their last seven matches across all competitions. Their single defeat came against Cameroon (1-3). With three wins and three draws, the team has shown a balanced attack and has been competitive against stronger teams.
In their latest match, Libya drew 3-3 with group leaders Cape Verde. Currently, they sit third in the group with 15 points, trailing Cameroon by three points. Even with a win in the final round, they cannot surpass second place due to head-to-head results.
Overall, Libya can take pride in their campaign, demonstrating growth and competitive spirit against tough opponents.
Probable lineups
- Mauritius: Kiotti, Mutu, Rose, Coyard, Latuchent, Vincent, Arthie, Caliste, Villeneuve, Brue, Aristide.
- Libya: Al Wuheishi, Saleh, Eito, Ali Youssef, Salama, Okashah, Al Shalwi, Al Hbeishi, Jaddour, Eisaou, Ezu El Mariamu.
Key facts and head-to-head
- Mauritius has lost 3 of their last 4 matches.
- 5 of Mauritius’ last 6 games have seen under 2.5 goals.
- Libya are unbeaten in 6 of their last 7 matches.
- 3 of Libya’s last 4 away games have had under 2.5 goals.
Mauritius vs Libya match prediction
Both teams have no chance of qualification, so this match holds little significance. Libya has shown respectable performance and consistency this qualifying cycle, while Mauritius has struggled as expected. Given their scoring issues and Libya’s relaxed approach, the match is likely to be low-scoring, with Libya managing the game. A prediction of under 2.5 goals at odds of 1.62 seems reasonable.