On tour in Nepal to prepare for the preliminary round of the 2022 African Cup of Nations, Club M suffered two defeats by a score of 1-0 in four days against Nepal at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu.
If during the first game played on January 29 the band of Tony Francois had held in check his opponent in the first half but last Tuesday, February 1, the Mauritian defense cracked after ten minutes of play following a corner of the Nepalese. The origin of the goal was a misunderstanding between the Mauritian goalkeeper, Loïc Michel and the right-back Jonathan Spéville. Sujal Shreshta, free of any marking, put his team on the spot.
The Mauritian reaction was immediate. Andy Sophie was awarded a penalty in the 13th minute of play after being fouled in the penalty area. The Mauritian striker took the penalty himself but his shot was saved by the goalkeeper.
The situation became more complicated for Mauritius on two occasions in the second half. In the 71st minute, Adrien Botlar saw red for tackling an opponent from behind and added to that the Mauritian wiped his spikes on the same opponent who was down. Eight minutes later it was Owen Foolchand who was sent off for a second yellow card. Nepal finished the match with ten men after Pujan Uperkoti was sent off (71st).
Thus, after two years without competition, Club M conceded two defeats with a score of 1-0. A score that is not heavy but adds to the series of eighteen games without a win, counting the friendly matches and those played against teams from the African continent.
The last victory of Club M excluding the one acquired against Mayotte (1-0) during the 2019 Islands Games dates back to May 28, 2018 when it won 1-0 at home against Malawi.
Legend: Ph 1: Club M has nothing to be ashamed of in this double defeat.
