After losing with 3-0 to Eswatini, Mauritius had some things to set straight in their second match of the COSAFA Cup. The Mauritians lined up in a 4-4-1-1 against Lesotho who played some sort of a 5-2-2-1. Mauritia didn’t play very well but they looked better than Lesotho, who had a very direct approach. Lesotho’s wingers were constantly making runs in behind Mauritius’ defenders, but it seemed like they weren’t very in line with their teammates seeing they were offside nine times already in the first half. Two defensive errors cost Mauritius though, as they lost the game 2-1.
Ratings:
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be a strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Gordy Prosper
Player profile:
- Nationality: Mauritian
- Age: 18
- Date of Birth: 23/03/2004
- Current Club: HPC Academy U20/NTC
- Career: HPC Academy
- Position: Attacking Midfield
- Secondary Position: Centre Midfield
- Preferred Foot: Right
Jacques Gordy Hansley Prosper played just behind and around striker Ashley Nazira in Mauritius’ 4-4-1-1. The 18-year-old didn’t play a flawless game but showed some very good things. His highlight came in the 50th minute when made the equalizer for Mauritius. After a cross from the right Prosper had some space in the box and put the ball into the back of the net with his right foot.
For an 18-year-old Gordy Prosper physical abilities surprised me quite a bit. It was quite hard to find anything of Mauritius’ youngsters, so I estimate him to be around 1.65-1.70m tall. He has a strong athletic build which really helped him when he received the ball with his back to the goal, while being pressed by an opponent. Prosper also seemed to move very easily, displaying good agility and balance.
It was quite a tough match for the youngest player on the pitch. Mauritius had a hard time breaking Lesotho’s two tight defensive lines and mainly tried to create chances through their wingers and overlapping full backs. Prosper worked very hard though to roam to the wide half-spaces to help them and play some short combinations. His work rate throughout the whole match was very good, also dropping back if needed. Prosper looked very comfortable with the ball at his feet. The pitch has had to endure quite a bit and wasn’t the best anymore but he didn’t seem to be affected by it too much. His first touches were very strong, also doing well when urgently pressed. However, I felt like he wasn’t scanning around him nearly enough which made him made a few hurried decisions where he actually had some time. Prosper’s distribution of the ball was solid overall, except for a few passes that were a bit too optimistic into the final third when linking up with his two wingers.
Rating – A1
It was hard to find a lot of information on these players but from what I could find and what the commentators said, Prosper currently plays in the academy of Mauritius’ High Performance Centre. The step to first team football in Europe is enormous and probably a lot too big still but I hope that he can make a step up in Africa or to a European youth academy as I think he has quite an interesting skillset.
Wilson Mootoo
Player profile:
- Nationality: Mauritian
- Age: 20
- Date of Birth: 08/04/2002
- Current Club: HPC Academy U20/Cercle de Joachim
- Career: HPC Academy/Cercle de Joachim
- Position: Right Back
- Secondary Position: Right Wing
- Preferred Foot: Right
Wilson Percy Mootoo, or Moutou as it’s spelled on some sites, played as the right back for the first two matches of Mauritius’ and COSAFA Cup run and played a solid game against Lesotho. Mootoo is very much an offensive full back and made a countless amount of over- and underlapping runs.
Physically Mootoo can definitely make some steps. He showed decent bursts of pace on the ball but his top speed didn’t look that high. Some extra muscle mass also definitely wouldn’t hurt him. He had quite a lean build but it didn’t seem to set him back a lot in defensive duels, as his tackling looked very good and he put a lot of aggression in his duels. On the ball though, there were a few times where he was pushed away too easily.
Wilson Mootoo looked a little uncomfortable when he was pressed. He showed that he has decent technique but didn’t look very composed with a few opponents around him, either taking poor touches or making bad decisions. When he saw the space though he was happy to carry the ball forward and this is how Mauritius’ goal was created, after Mootoo carried the ball forward and cut back to his left foot, he put in a solid cross with his weaker foot which found Prosper. The rest of Mootoo’s crosses were generally not the best.
Rating – A2
Wilson Mootoo was a very useful player but has quite some areas to develop still. I definitely feel like he should be able to play in some of the better leagues in East Africa in not too long.
Mervin Aristide
Player profile:
- Nationality: Mauritian
- Age: 20
- Date of Birth: 01/02/2002
- Current Club: GRSE Wanderers
- Career: GRSE Wanderers
- Position: Centre Midfield
- Preferred Foot: Right
Jean Mervin David Aristide replaced his older brother in the starting line-up this game and was Mauritius’ playmaker in the game against Lesotho. Aristide played alongside Jean Hansley Patate, who was a much more physical player, and they complemented each other quite well. The 20-year-old also stands at around 1.70m and has a very skinny build. He didn’t fear the physical side of the game though, going in his duels with high intensity but sometimes he simply wasn’t strong enough, which then led to him fouling his opponent. He also defended a little naïve at times, committing to challenges very early which gave the opponent time to change direction slightly and dribble past him. On the other side of the pitch, he did well recognizing the right moments to counter-press his opponents a couple of times, recovering possession high up the pitch for Mauritius.
Mervin Aristide seemed to feel very comfortable with the ball at his feet and read the game very well. He was often involved in Mauritius’ build-up often picking up the ball and distributing it to his teammates. The young midfielder often tried to dribble himself out of the opponent’s pressure, with mixed success. He showed the ability to easily turn away from his opponents with the ball, but he just made a couple of mistakes too many losing the ball in dangerous situations. At times he struggled with his first touches under pressure and other times he was just dispossessed in midfield. Aristide is right-footed but tried using his left foot as well, with mixed success as it clearly wasn’t as strong as his preferred foot.
Rating – B1
Mervin Aristide is a smart player who did very well at times for Mauritius, but was just too error prone this game. He made a few mistakes that just can’t happen on a higher level.