Somalia reached the group-stage qualifiers of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers for the first time after beating Mauritius 4-2 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday. The second leg ended 0-0 at Côte d’Or National Sports Complex in Saint Pierre, Mauritius, after the first leg also finished goalless in Mozambique.
The Ocean Stars held firm through 90 minutes under home pressure, then kept their composure from the spot to take the tie. CAF said Somalia converted four penalties while Mauritius missed two, sending Somalia into the next phase of qualifying.
Somalia’s progress carries extra weight because the preliminary round involved the 12 lowest-ranked teams in the qualifiers, with only six nations moving on to the group-stage qualifiers. The winners now join 42 other CAF member associations in the next phase on the road to the 2027 finals, which Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will co-host.
Penalty Shootout Sends Somalia Through in Afcon 2027 Qualifiers
Mauritius tried to use home advantage in the return leg, but Somalia stayed organized and denied a breakthrough across both matches. CAF described both games as tight and cautious, with neither side able to find a goal over 180 minutes.
That left penalties to decide the tie, and Somalia handled the moment better.
Somalia Football Federation president Ali Abdi Mohamed called the result a historic moment for the country.
“Today we have written a history in Africa Cup of Nations,” he said in a statement.
He said he was proud of the players, coaching staff and supporters after Somalia reached this stage for the first time.
Somali Football Progress Gets Another Boost
The result gives Somalia one of its most important recent football milestones and adds a new result to signs of steady progress around the national game. NewsBlaze recently reported on youth football development, the opening of a second SFF development center, and wider efforts to build momentum in the sport in Somali football’s recent progress.
This latest result now gives those efforts a landmark senior men’s result on the field.
Somalia now move into the next stage of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers with new confidence and a place in the group-stage draw. After two scoreless matches and a tense shootout, the Ocean Stars left Mauritius with a result that already stands as one of the most significant in Somali football history.
