Mauritania AFCON 2024 squad list, fixtures and opponents

The Lions of Chinguetti, who had not participated in the continental tournament since its establishment in 1957, made their debut in the 2019 edition and secured qualification again in 2021. In this piece.

Here’s our run-through of the Mauritanian team who will be making their third AFCON appearance in Ivory Coast during AFCON 2024.

This year's competition is officially named AFCON 2023 since it was initially scheduled to take place last year but was postponed until January-February 2024.

Mauritania’s AFCON 2024 schedule

Mauritania are placed in Group D of AFCON 2024 and have Burkina Faso, Angola and Algeria as their opponents. The Stade de la Paix in Bouake will host the games in Group D. The Lions of Chinguetti will have their opening game against Burkina Faso and have their last game against Algeria.

16 January 3pm: Burkina Faso – Mauritania, Stade de la Paix de Bouaké
20 January 6pm: Mauritania – Angola, Bouaké Peace Stadium
23 January 9pm: Mauritania – Algeria, Stade de la Paix de Bouaké

How did Mauritania qualify for AFCON 2024?

Mauritania finished second in their group, which included Sudan, Gabon, and DR Congo. They secured three victories, endured two losses, and achieved one draw, amassing a total of 10 points as they advanced to the tournament in Ivory Coast.

Matchday 1: Mauritania-Sudan (3-0)
Matchday 2: Gabon-Mauritania (0-0)
Matchday 3: DR Congo-Mauritania (3-1)
Matchday 4: Mauritania-DR Congo (0-3)
Matchday 5: Sudan-Mauritania (0-3)
Matchday 6: Mauritania-Gabon (2-1)

Mauritania’s last 10 matches before AFCON 2024

In their last 10 games, Mauritania have won three, lost four, and with three drawn games.

South Sudan-Mauritania (0-0) – 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
DR Congo-Mauritania (2-0) – 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Mauritania-Burkina Faso (1-2) – Friendly
Mauritania-Madagascar (2-1) – Friendly
Mauritania-Gabon (2-1) – CAN 2023 Qualifiers
Sudan-Mauritania (0-3) – CAN 2023 Qualifiers
Mauritania-DR Congo (0-3) – CAN 2023 Qualifiers
DR Congo-Mauritania (3-1) – CAN 2023 Qualifiers
Mauritania-Mali (1-1) – Friendly
Mauritania-Mali (1-0) – Friendly

Photo by Icon sport

Coach of Mauritania: Amir Abdou

Since taking charge of Mauritania in March 2022, he has achieved a highly satisfactory record. From March 2022 to January 2023, the Lions of Chinguetti went on an impressive streak of 15 matches without defeat in official matches across all competitions, including national “A” and local teams.

This historic run for Mauritania came to an end during the quarter-final of CHAN in Algeria. Furthermore, his performance during the qualifiers, with three wins, one draw, and two losses (including one due to a technicality), has also been very satisfactory. Without a scintilla of doubt, the Marseille-born gaffer has the wherewithal to take Mauritania to the next level.

Photo by Icon Sport

Player to watch: Aboubakary Koita

Aboubakary Koita, who holds Belgian and Senegalese nationality made the decision to represent Mauritania in 2023. He has since made two appearances for Mauritania so far, the talented left winger from Sint-Truiden has made a significant impact in the Belgian championship.

In the current season, he has impressively scored 11 goals in 20 Jupiler Pro League matches. In addition to his evident finishing abilities, Koita, standing at 1.75 meters, possesses exceptional speed and dribbling skills. While he has yet to showcase his capabilities with the Lions of Chinguetti fully, there is no doubt that he represents a high-quality addition to Abdou's team.

Photo by Icon Sport

Mauritania’s AFCON 2024 preparations

Mauritania engaged Tunisia in a pre-AFCON friendly at the Stade Olympic Hammadi Agrebi, Rades, Tunis on 6 January. The game ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Mauritania’s final AFCON 2024 squad

Amir Abdou has named a 27-man squad to represent Mauritania at AFCON 2024 in Ivory Coast. The squad includes well-known players such as captain Aly Abeid, Ibrahima Keita of TP Mazembe, former Guingamp player Guessouma Fofana, Hemeya Tanji, and Bakary N'Diaye, who has recently returned from retirement.