Football: Cosafa Castle Cup 2006-Seychelles drawn in tough group C |06 January 2006

With Namibia, Zambia and Malawi as opponents, it can be said that group C is quite a tough one for Seychelles who only made their debut in the annual tournament last year.

Group C matches have been scheduled to be played in Windhoek, Namibia, during the weekend of July 22 and 23.

On Saturday July 22, past champions Zambia will play Malawi and Seychelles will entertain hosts Namibia.

The winners of the two games will meet in the final on the following day, while the two losers will play each other in the third place play-off.

The 12 participating teams have been divided into three groups. Group A comprises hosts Lesotho, Mozambique, Mauritius and Angola. Group B is made up of hosts Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland and Madagascar.

The three mini-tournament winners will be joined by holders Zimbabwe in the semifinals to be played on the weekends of August 19-20 and September 16-17.

The final will be played on the weekend of October 21-22.
Rwandan technical advisor Raoul Shungu has already called a 29-man pre-selection to train ahead of the tournament and other international fixtures for the year.
The pre-selection is made up of:

Goalkeepers: Nelson Sopha (St Michel), Ricky Rose (Anse Réunion), Eugene Valentin (St Louis) and Vincent Euphrasie (La Passe).

Defenders: Verna Rose (La Passe), Alex Nibourette (St Michel) Jonathan Bibi (La Passe), Ted Esther (La Passe), Godfrey Denis (St Michel), Ted Radegonde (Red Star), Jude Marie (St Louis), Ruddy Niole (La Passe), Joel Barbé (St Michel), Brian Dorby (SMB) and Jones Joubert (St Louis).

Midfielders: Garry Robert (St Michel), Denis Barbé (Sunshine), Achille Henriette (St Louis), Jude Ladouce (La Passe), Vincent Volcère (Red Star), Bernard St Ange (Red Star), Alpha Baldé (St Louis) and Roderick Rose (Anse Réunion).

Strikers: Che Dorasamy (SMB), Robert Suzette (Sunshine), Wilnes Brutus (Red Star), Don Anacoura (St Michel), Nelson Laurence (St Michel) and Yelvany Rose (Anse Réunion).

Seychelles’ record against Namibia

In their on-and-off international exposure, the Seychelles team, who played just one international match last year, have twice played against Namibia in the qualifiers for the World Cup 2002 co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

In their baptism of fire, Seychelles forced a 1-1 draw against the Namibians thanks to a Philip Zialor spectacular goal at Stad Linite in the first leg on Saturday April 8, 2000. Under coach Vojo Gardasevic, Seychelles lost the return fixture 3-0 with Germany-based striker Razundura Tjikuzu netting a hat-trick for the southern African country a fortnight later.

Meanwhile, Seychelles’ debut in the annual Cosafa Castle Cup competition ended in defeat inside the George V stadium in Mauritius as South Africa progressed to the final against the hosts early last year.

On a waterlogged pitch and with the game having to be stopped for almost an hour in the second period, Seychelles lacked depth to lose 0-3 in their first ever clash against South Africa.
Striker Kaytloego Mphela  netted South Africa’s first two goals inside the opening 20 minutes of play following two corner kicks by Thando Mngomeni.

Unmarked inside the penalty area, Mphela headed home past Seychelles goalkeeper and captain Nelson Sopha in the 12th minute. Four minutes later, Mphela became the first South African to score twice on his debut with the Bafana Bafana when he hit home his second personal goal after the ball had been headed to him from another Mngomeni corner.

Lerato Chabangu touched home South Africa’s third goal on the stroke of half-time after Sandile Ndlovu had rounded keeper Sopha and centred to him.

South Africa scored a fourth goal late in the second half but Sandile Ndlovu’s effort was ruled out for offside.

Seychelles’ starting 11 comprised goalkeeper Nelson Sopha, Jonathan Bibi, Percy Laramé, Wilnes Brutus, Henny Dufresne, Alpha Baldé, Denis Barbé, Philip Zialor, Ted Esther, Alex Nibourette and Verna Rose.

The three substitutes used were Brian Ravinia (for Zialor in the 62nd minute), Jude Ladouce (for Laramé in the 63rd minute) and Jeffrey Brutus (for Dufresne 80th minute).

It is to note that a tropical downpour forced Mauritian referee Ahmed Roheemun to stop play between Seychelles and South Africa for almost an hour with 24 minutes remaining on the clock.

Firemen had to pump water off the pitch and ground staff dug holes to drain the water.

 The Cosafa Castle Cup 2006 draw

Group A in Maseru, Lesotho:
April 29: Mauritius v Angola
April 29: Lesotho v Mozambique
April 30: Final and third place play-off
 
Group B in Gaborone, Botswana:
May 20: South Africa v Swaziland
May 20: Botswana v Madagascar
May 21: Final and third place play-off

Group C in Windhoek, Namibia:
July 22: Zambia v Malawi
July 22: Namibia v Seychelles
July 23: Final and third place play-off

G. G.