Football: Cosafa under-17 regional championships-Seychelles drawn in group A |22 November 2012

They will play alongside hosts Zambia, Botswana, South Africa and Malawi, while the other group is made up of Angola, Namibia, Swaziland, Mauritius and Lesotho.

All matches will be played at the Nkoloma and Sunset stadiums in Lusaka, with the final on December 16 and a third-place play-off matches will take place the day before.

The Seychelles selection under the command of head coach Marc Mathiot and assistant Michel Renaud are already on the intensive training mode with five weekly sessions, including two test matches.

Speaking to Sports Nation, coach Mathiot said the tournament is the ideal opportunity for the young players to assess their level of play against that of their counterparts from the continent.
 
He praised the Seychelles Football Federation for presenting the youngsters with overseas exposure. This, he said, will motivate them further and boost their performances, as it will serve as a reward for hard training.

Coach Mathiot said his entourage is aware of the hard task ahead and acknowledged that most of their opponents are superior technically.

He, however, said despite being their first international outing, all the players are well prepared – both physically and mentally – and ready to give their best at the tournament.

Coach Mathiot added that the international experience will help the players develop further and become better footballers.

The 20 players making the trip are Ian Ah-Kong, Raphael Moustache, Ryan Labrosse, Samuel Moustache, Adrian Constance, Dario Payet, Anthony François, Adrian Lemiel, Jean-Claude Berlouis, Graham Cafrine, Julio Edmond, Alexandro Lespoir, Gavin Domingue, Dean Mellie, Randolph Elizabeth, Stan Fanchette, Ian Vel, Golbert Mellon, Aldo Dufresne and Wesley Esther.

Lewis Madeleine will head the delegation, while Damien Jean is the team manager.

R. D.