Zimbabwe’s Under-23 national football team is scheduled to host Mauritius on Wednesday at the National Sports Stadium for the first leg of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match. The game, set for a 6 p.m. local time start, marks the opening of the qualification campaign for both nations.
This match is the first of a two-leg, first-round tie. The return fixture is scheduled to take place in Mauritius on Oct. 6. The team with the higher aggregate score after both matches will advance to the second round of the qualifiers.
The U-23 AFCON tournament serves as the continent’s qualification pathway for the men’s Olympic Football Tournament. According to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the top teams from the final U-23 AFCON tournament secure a spot to represent Africa at the subsequent Summer Olympic Games.
Ahead of the match, both teams have been undergoing preparations. The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) confirmed the squad has been holding a training camp in Harare. The Mauritius Football Association announced its team’s arrival in Zimbabwe and confirmed its squad list for the upcoming fixture.
Officials have prepared the National Sports Stadium in Harare, the country’s largest sporting venue, for the international match. Details regarding ticketing and match-day logistics were released by ZIFA earlier in the week.
The result of Wednesday’s encounter will determine the circumstances for the second leg in October, which will decide which team moves forward in the qualification process for the continental youth championship.
