The long road to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 officially begins this week. For the Somali national team, known as the “Ocean Stars,” the significance of this match is paramount as they look to make their mark on the continental stage.
On March 27, Somalia will face Mauritius in the first leg of the preliminary qualifying round at the Estádio da Matola in Maputo, Mozambique.
With the 2027 tournament set to be co-hosted by East African neighbors Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, Somalia’s motivation to advance to the next stage is clearly evident. Head coach Yusuf Ali Nur has assembled a 23-man squad consisting of both domestic and overseas-based players. His primary goal is to secure a decisive result in this opening match before the team travels for the return leg.
The Ocean Stars arrived in Mozambique late last weekend after receiving a warm send-off from their fans in Mogadishu. Coach Nur has expressed full confidence in the players he selected, noting that the squad features a strong blend of solid defenders and creative attackers.
Experienced goalkeeper Abdirahman Mohamud Jamaac is expected to lead the team from the back, while a robust defensive line led by Abel Gigli and Mahmoud Ali will be tasked with neutralizing the Mauritian offense. In the middle and front of the pitch, the creativity of Abdisamad Abdullahi and the goal-scoring abilities of Zakaria Nur Abdullahi and Yusuf Ali Ahmed will play a key role in breaking down the Mauritius defense.
“The players are all determined and ready to raise the Somali flag high,” Coach Nur told reporters. “We are aware that we have two matches ahead of us, but we must take the lead in the first game.” Meanwhile, the Mauritius team, popularly known as “Club M,” enters the fray with high ambitions of its own.
Led by head coach Guillaume Moullec, the squad includes several players based abroad, such as 19-year-old West Ham United midfielder Gabriel Caliste. Mauritius has shown recent improvement, evidenced by a respectable 2-0 loss to giants Cameroon in World Cup qualifying, and they view this playoff as a major opportunity to reach the group stages.
Somalia is not the only team from the CECAFA region in action during this preliminary round. There is significant activity across East Africa: Eritrea returns to the international stage in Morocco against Eswatini after a long hiatus from AFCON competition; Djibouti and South Sudan will face off in a regional derby in Juba; and Ethiopia and Burundi will play their away matches against Sao Tome and Chad, respectively.
While playing “home” games in Mozambique due to stadium and security challenges remains a hurdle for Somalia, the team remains undeterred. An aggregate victory over these two legs would see them join the 48 nations in the group stage draw, bringing them one step closer to a historic appearance at the African football showpiece.
