Seychelles announce squad for World Cup qualifier against Kenya after player boycott

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FOOTBALL Seychelles announce squad for World Cup qualifier against Kenya after player boycott

Festus Chuma 19:36 - 14.11.2023

Seychelles hastily assembles squad for World Cup qualifiers following a boycott, aiming to score goals and meet set objectives.

Seychelles national team head coach Rapl Jean Louis has unveiled his 23-man squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Ivory Coast and Kenya.

The selection process for this squad was far from ideal due to a last-minute player boycott that left Louis with no choice but to make some hurried replacements in a 23-man squad.

Despite the challenges, the hastily assembled squad wasted no time, holding their first training session on Monday.

In an interview coach Jean-Louis emphasized the team's primary objective of scoring at least one goal in both matches, especially against the formidable Côte d'Ivoire.

"Our preparation was not ideal considering we had planned a specific preparation for this very tough game. First, we couldn't have all the players we had selected for various reasons, so we will not have the team we initially had in mind," coach Jean-Louis explained

"Then, since the national club competitions are still being played at the moment, we had to release the players to their clubs, and we weren't able to set out a convenient preparation program for the game against Ivory Coast. So altogether, there were only a few days where we could get the team together for training."

In addition to scoring goals, the team has set another target: covering a certain number of kilometers during the matches.

Initially aiming for 100km, this goal has been adjusted to between 70 and 80km per match, which would still be a significant achievement for the team.

The third objective for Seychelles is to complete 150 passes during each match, a target set by Coach Jean-Louis.

Seychelles finds itself in Group F alongside tough competitors, including Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, the Gambia, and Burundi.

The team faces an uphill battle, currently occupying the lowest spot on the FIFA ranking at 195th with 853.50 points.

In contrast, Côte d'Ivoire is the highest-ranked team in the group, sitting at 52nd place with 1439.17 points.

Gabon follows closely in the rankings at 86th place with 1270.8 points, while Kenya is at 110th place with 1186.85 points.

The Gambia occupies the 117th spot with 1160 points, and Burundi is presently ranked 142nd with 1080.43 points.

Seychelles' recent international record has been challenging, with just one victory out of seven matches played in 2023.

The Panthers' lone victory came in the first of a two-match friendly against Bangladesh in March, with the team suffering a defeat in the second match with the same scoreline.  

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Seychelles Squad:

Goalkeepers: Matrid Adrienne (Internationale), Noris Bibi (Bel Air), Makan Cissoko (Foresters)

Defenders: Rhio Damoo (Rovers) , Lance Ernesta (La Passe) , Bertrand Esparon (La Passe), Majid Freminot(St Louis) Charmaine Hausl (International), Ryan Henriette(Foresters), Nick Labiche 9Rovers) , Brandon Labrosse(Foresters) ,

Midfielders: Stephan Ladouce(St Louis), Helton Monay (Le Passe), Stephan Morgan (Cote d’Or) , Kenan Nourice (Bazar Brothers), Rohan Orphe (Rovers), Lucas Panayi (Rovers), Marcus Payet(La Passe)

Forwards: Imra Raheriniaina (St Michel), Frederick Renaud(Marine) Carlos Semeon (International) , Elie Sopha (St Michel), Gervais Waye-Hive (St Louis)