Seychelles national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Seychelles

Nickname(s)	The Pirates
Association	Seychelles Football Federation
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	COSAFA (Southern Africa)
Head coach	Ralph Jean-Louis (caretaker)
Captain	Benoit Marie
Most caps	Benoit Marie (64)
Top scorer	Philip Zialor (14)
Home stadium	Stade Linité
FIFA code	SEY
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	189 (7 February 2019)
Highest	129 (October 2006)
Lowest	202 (February 2020)
Elo ranking
Current	195 2 (3 March 2019)
Highest	168 (July 2008)
Lowest	199 (January 2020)
First international
Réunion 2–0 Seychelles  (Saint-Denis, Réunion; 13 February 1974)
Biggest win
Seychelles 9–0 Maldives  (Saint-Pierre, Réunion; 27 August 1979)
Biggest defeat
Ivory Coast 9–0 Seychelles  (Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire; 17 November 2023)
COSAFA Cup
Appearances	14 (first in 2005)
Best result	Group stage (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024)

The Seychelles national football team is a group of football players who represent the country of Seychelles in international matches. They are often called the Pirates. The team is managed by the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF). The SFF joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA in 1986.

The team plays its home games at Stade Linité. This stadium can hold 10,000 fans. It is located in Roche Caiman, near Victoria, the capital city of Seychelles.

History of Football in Seychelles

Football first came to Seychelles in the 1930s. The very first official football competition was the Challenge Cup in 1936. Later, in 1941, a championship started with five teams. Players used to play for 60 minutes and without shoes!

In 1969, the head of the Seychelles Football Federation wanted to create a national team. Adrian Fisher, a football coach, came to the island in September. He helped to organize football in Seychelles. He made sure players wore shoes. He also taught them new training methods and made matches 90 minutes long.

The new national team played its first friendly games in Kenya in April 1970. They tied 2–2 against Feisal F.C. and then lost 1–2 to Mwengi. When Fisher left in 1973, the team had played six games against different clubs.

First International Matches

Seychelles played their first match against another country's national team on March 13, 1974. They played against Réunion and lost 0–2. Two years later, after Seychelles became an independent country, they played Réunion again and lost 1–4.

In September 1977, they played their first game against a team recognized by FIFA. This was against Mauritius, and Seychelles lost 1–2. The team got its first win the next year, beating Réunion 1–0 at home.

The Seychelles team playing against Ethiopia at Stade Linité in 2015.

In 1979, Seychelles played in their first big tournament, the 1979 Indian Ocean Games. They lost their first game 3–0 to Réunion. But then they had a huge win, beating Maldives 9–0! In the semi-final, they beat Mauritius in a penalty shootout. However, they lost 2–1 to Réunion in the final.

Seychelles did not do well in the 1985 Indian Ocean Games. On August 31, 1986, they played their first official match recognized by FIFA and CAF. This was a qualification match for the 1987 All-Africa Games against Mauritius, which they lost 1–2. They also played in the qualifiers for the 1988 African Cup of Nations for the first time, losing 1–3 over two games.

At the 1990 Indian Ocean Games, the team had its biggest loss ever, losing 0–6 to Madagascar. But they won the bronze medal match against Comoros 3–1. Even though they hosted the next games in 1993, they lost all four matches.

After losing to Mauritius in the 1996 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, Vojo Gardašević became the new coach. The Pirates won another bronze medal at the 1998 Indian Ocean Games. Two years later, they played in the World Cup qualifiers for the first time. They tied 1–1 with Namibia at home, but lost the second game 0–3.

Seychelles did better in the qualifiers for the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations. They finished third in their group. They had two great home wins: 1–0 against Eritrea and 2–1 against Zimbabwe. After this, they won a bronze medal at the 2003 Indian Ocean Games.

In 2011, Seychelles hosted the 2011 Indian Ocean Island Games. They won the tournament for the first time, beating Mauritius in the final on penalties!

The rest of the 2010s were not as successful for The Pirates. A highlight was a 2–0 win over Lesotho in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. They also tied 1–1 with Ethiopia.

FIFA Goal Programme

In 2006, a new football training center opened in Mahé. This was built with help from the FIFA Goal programme. The project cost about 750,000 US dollars. The president of Seychelles, James Michel, was there for the opening.

The center has the SFF main office, a meeting hall, 20 bedrooms, massage rooms, changing rooms, and a restaurant. It is right next to the turf pitches that were also put in place by the Goal programme in 2003. This center helps the team train and develop.

Recent Matches

The Seychelles national team plays matches against other countries. Here are some of their recent results:

• On November 17, 2023, they lost 9–0 to Ivory Coast in a World Cup qualifier.
• On November 20, 2023, they lost 0–5 to Kenya in another World Cup qualifier.
• On June 8, 2024, they lost 5–1 to Gambia in a World Cup qualifier.
• On June 11, 2024, they lost 1–3 to Burundi in a World Cup qualifier.
• On June 28, 2024, they tied 1–1 with Lesotho in the COSAFA Cup.
• On July 1, 2024, they lost 3–2 to Angola in the COSAFA Cup.
• On July 3, 2024, they lost 3–1 to Namibia in the COSAFA Cup.

Coaches

Many coaches have led the Seychelles national football team over the years. Some have been from Seychelles, while others have come from different countries.

• Adrian Fisher (1969–1973)
• Ulrich Mathiot (1991)
• Helmut Kosmehl (1992–1993)
• Vojo Gardašević (1997–2001)
• Dominique Bathenay (2002)
• Michael Nees (2002–2004)
• Raoul Shungu (2006–2008)
• Jan Mak (2008)
• Ulrich Mathiot (2008)
• Richard Holmlund (2009)
• Jan Mak (2010)
• Michael Nees (2010)
• Andrew Amers-Morrison (2010)
• Ralph Jean-Louis (2010–2011)
• Gavin Jeanne (2012)
• Jan Mak (2013–2014)
• Ulrich Mathiot (2014–2015)
• Bruno Saindini (2015)
• Ralph Jean-Louis (2015–2016)
• Joel de Commarmond (2017)
• Rodney Choisy (2017)
• Gavin Jeanne (2018–2019)
• Jan Mak (2019)
• Ralph Jean-Louis (2020–2021)
• Osama Haroun (2021)
• Vivian Bothe (2021–2023)
• Ralph Jean-Louis (2023–present)

Team Management

The team has a full staff to help the players. This includes coaches, medical staff, and other important roles.

Position	Name
Head Coach	Ralph Jean-Louis (caretaker)
Assistant Coaches	Ernest Vivien Lesley Guichard
Goalkeeping Coach	Frantz Boulle
Fitness Coach	James Fontaine
Match Analyst	Alexis Lafleur
Doctors	Dr. Daniel François Dr. Justine Valmont
Physiotherapists	Michael Payet Jules Hervé Richard Lemoine Thomas Hoareau
Team Coordinator	Gavin Jeanne
Technical Director	Vivian Bothe

Players

Current Squad

These are the players who were chosen for the 2024 COSAFA Cup. The numbers for games played (caps) and goals are correct as of June 28, 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Ian Ah-Kong	(1995-11-02) 2 November 1995 (age 29)	16	0	La Passe
	1GK	Romeo Padayachy	(1993-02-18) 18 February 1993 (age 32)	3	0	Light Stars
	1GK	Liam Esther		0	0	Northern Dynamo
	2DF	Warren Mellie	(1994-10-01) 1 October 1994 (age 30)	38	3	Foresters Mont Fleuri
	2DF	Don Fanchette	(1997-12-03) 3 December 1997 (age 27)	29	0	La Passe
	2DF	Makhan Bristol-Cissoko	(2006-06-26) 26 June 2006 (age 18)	5	0	Foresters Mont Fleuri
	2DF	Markus Payet	(2005-06-13) 13 June 2005 (age 20)	5	0	La Passe
	2DF	Anil Dijoux	(2006-07-20) 20 July 2006 (age 18)	1	0	Northern Dynamo
	3MF	Gervais Waye-Hive	(1988-06-11) 11 June 1988 (age 37)	50	6	Saint Louis Suns United
	3MF	Dean Mothé	(2000-08-01) 1 August 2000 (age 24)	21	0	Saint Louis Suns United
	3MF	Elie Sopha	(2004-11-03) 3 November 2004 (age 20)	8	0	St Michel United
	3MF	Imra Raheriniaina	(2004-11-19) 19 November 2004 (age 20)	7	0	St Michel United
	3MF	Lorenzo Hoareau	(2007-06-01) 1 June 2007 (age 18)	5	3	Foresters Mont Fleuri
	3MF	Lucas Panayi	(1997-03-06) 6 March 1997 (age 28)	4	0	Northern Dynamo
	3MF	Tyrone Cadeau	(2004-06-14) 14 June 2004 (age 21)	3	0	Stafford Rangers
	3MF	Johan Gamatice	(1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 26)	3	0	Saint Louis Suns United
	3MF	Vince Fred	(2005-10-16) 16 October 2005 (age 19)	2	0	Light Stars
	3MF	Nick Labiche	(1999-07-08) 8 July 1999 (age 25)	2	0	Rovers
	3MF	Stephan Ladouce	(2005-06-14) 14 June 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Saint Louis Suns United
	3MF	Laurence Leon	(1996-03-11) 11 March 1996 (age 29)	0	0
	3MF	Saverio Tsiahoua	(2004-06-16) 16 June 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Anse Réunion
	4FW	Brandon Labrosse	(1999-03-11) 11 March 1999 (age 26)	28	2	Foresters Mont Fleuri
	4FW	Justin Riaz		0	0

Player Records

Here are some of the top players for Seychelles, based on how many games they've played and how many goals they've scored. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for the national team.

Most Games Played

Top Goal Scorers

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup

Seychelles has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup several times. They have not yet made it to the main tournament.

FIFA World Cup										Qualification
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1974	Part of  United Kingdom									Part of  United Kingdom
1978 to 1986	Not a FIFA member									Not a FIFA member
1990 to 1998	Did not enter									Did not enter
2002	Did not qualify									2	0	1	1	1	4
2006										2	0	1	1	1	5
2010										6	0	0	6	4	17
2014										2	0	0	2	0	7
2018										2	0	0	2	0	3
2022										2	0	0	2	0	10
2026	To be determined								4	0	0	4	2	22
Total	–	0/9	–	–	–	–	–	–	20	0	2	18	8	68

Africa Cup of Nations

The team also competes in qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations, which is the biggest football tournament in Africa. They have not yet qualified for the main event.

Africa Cup of Nations record										Africa Cup of Nations Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1957 to 1976	Part of  United Kingdom									Part of  United Kingdom
1978 to 1986	Not affiliated to CAF									Not affiliated to CAF
1988	Did not enter									Did not enter
1990	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	1	3
1992	Withdrew									Withdrew
1994	Did not enter									Did not enter
1996	Withdrew									Withdrew
1998	Did not qualify									2	0	1	1	1	2
2000	Did not enter									Did not enter
2002
2004	Did not qualify									6	2	0	4	4	10
2006										2	0	1	1	1	5
2008										6	1	1	4	3	14
2010										6	0	0	6	4	17
2012	Did not enter									Did not enter
2013	Did not qualify									2	0	0	2	0	7
2015	Withdrew									Withdrew
2017	Did not qualify									6	1	1	4	5	11
2019									6	0	1	5	3	25
2021									2	0	0	2	1	3
2023									2	0	1	1	1	3
2025	Excluded								Excluded
Total	–	0/35	–	–	–	–	–	–	42	5	6	31	24	100

Indian Ocean Island Games

The Indian Ocean Island Games is a multi-sport event for islands in the Indian Ocean. Seychelles has had some success in football at these games.

Indian Ocean Island Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1979	Runners-up	2nd	4	1	1	2	11	6
1985	Group stage	6th	2	0	0	2	1	4
1990	Third place	3rd	3	1	0	2	3	9
1993	Fourth place	4th	4	0	0	4	3	12
1998	Third place	3rd	4	2	0	2	9	10
2003	Third place	3rd	4	1	2	1	3	6
2007	Group stage	5th	2	1	0	1	2	4
2011	Champions	1st	5	3	2	0	10	4
2015	Group stage	5th	3	1	0	2	4	3
2019	Fourth place	4th	4	0	2	2	2	8
2023	Group Stage	6th	2	0	0	2	0	2
Total	1 Title	11/11	36	10	7	20	48	68

COSAFA Cup

The COSAFA Cup is a football tournament for teams in Southern Africa. Seychelles has taken part in this competition many times.

Year	COSAFA Cup
	Round	Result	M	W	D	L	GF	GA
2000	Excluded
2001
2002	Did not enter
2003
2004
2005	Round 1	11th	1	0	0	1	0	3
2006	Round 1	7th	2	0	1	1	1	3
2007	Round 1	13th	2	0	0	2	0	7
2008	Group stage	11th	3	1	1	1	8	2
2009	Group stage	13th	3	0	0	3	2	6
2013	Group stage	13th	2	0	0	2	2	8
2015	Group stage	13th	3	0	1	2	0	2
2016	Group stage	14th	3	0	0	3	0	10
2017	Group stage	14th	3	0	0	3	1	10
2018	Group stage	12th	3	0	2	1	2	3
2019	Group stage	13th	3	0	1	2	0	6
2021	Did not enter
2022	Group Stage	13th	3	0	0	3	1	6
2023	Group Stage	12th	3	0	0	3	2	9
Total	Group stage	11/19	34	1	6	27	19	75

Honours

The Seychelles national football team has won some awards and medals in regional competitions.

• Indian Ocean Island Games
  • Gold medal (1): 2011
  • Silver medal (1): 1979
  • Bronze medal (3): 1990, 1998, 2003

Images for kids

• 

  The Seychelles team playing against Ethiopia at Stade Linité in 2015.

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Seychelles para niños