Football - Seychelles hope for a win against Lesotho on ‘Holy Saturday’ |24 March 2016

While the Catholic world awaits the resurrection of their saviour this weekend, members of Seychelles national football team will be hoping to bring more joy to the nation by gaining victory over Lesotho in their forthcoming 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier on Saturday.

Seychelles currently occupy third place in group J of the Afcon 2017 qualifying rounds where only a single point separates them from bottom-place Lesotho, who are yet to gain a point. The group also contains Ethiopia and leaders Algeria.

A squad of 25 players have been selected and began intensive training last weekend. Head coach Ralph Jean-Louis explained that the main focus has been on defence and offence, adding that they have also placed some emphasis on set-pieces which they will hope to exploit on Saturday at Stad Linite.

“We have a double objective for Saturday’s game. Firstly we want to win the match and then we want to put ourselves in a good frame of mind to be able to win the away match in order to achieve our very first qualification for a major championship,” said coach Jean-Louis.

He added that he wants his players to attack as much as they can but also to remain responsible at the back to avoid conceding goals.

Notable absentees from the squad selected by coach Jean-Louis are St Michel’s Alex Nibourette, who is out with an injury, and LightStars striker Rennick Esther.

Meanwhile, La Passe goalkeeper Vincent Euphrasie – the penalty shootout hero during the 2011 Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) final victory against Mauritius – has been named Seychelles’ new captain for international matches.

Seychelles are currently ranked 191st in the Fifa world rankings and their opponents occupy 153rd spot, having drawn three of the last five games and losing the other two.

Lesotho’s squad consist primarily of players playing in the home nation, with only a few exceptions playing elsewhere on the continent. They, like Seychelles, have never qualified for a major tournament in the history.

Saturday’s match is expected to be officiated by Rwanda’s Louis Hakizimana and the two teams will meet again on Tuesday for the away leg in Maseru, Lesotho.

The following is the 25-man squad called up for Saturday’s encounter.

Goalkeepers: Vincent Euphrasie (La Passe, captain), Jerome Dingwall (The Lions), Gino Melanie (St Michel) and Ian Ah-Kong (Anse Reunion)

Defenders: Yannick Manoo, Allen Larue, (St Michel), Benoit Marie, Jones Joubert (Côte d’Or), Yannick Julie (St Louis), Jude Nancy, Andrew Onezia (The Lions) and Fabio Lemiel (LightStars)

Midfielders: Colin Bibi (The Lions), Basil Bertin, Karl Hall, Gervais Waye-Hive, Nelson Laurence (St Michel), Archille Henriette, Stan Fanchette (La Passe), Dieter Constance (Anse Reunion) and Mervin Mathiot (St Louis)

Forwards: Randolph Elizabeth (St John Bosco), Che Dorasamy (Plaisance), Elijah Tamboo (St Louis) and Dean Suzette (Côte d’Or)

S. N.