South Africa vs Mauritius prediction, H2H and probable line-ups — 10 June 2025
South Africa
Mauritius
On June 10, 2025, a decisive COSAFA Cup group stage clash in Group A will see South Africa go head-to-head with Mauritius. Both sides are still in contention for a spot in the semifinals, meaning neither team can afford to play cautiously. Expect a tense, open encounter where backing goals looks like the most promising bet.
Preview
The COSAFA Cup is a traditional regional tournament featuring national teams from southern Africa. In 2025, the competition is being held in an expanded format, with 14 teams divided into four groups, and only the group winners advancing to the semifinals. South Africa are perennial participants and are widely regarded as one of the tournament favorites.
South Africa are the flagbearers of the COSAFA Cup, the tournament’s most decorated side with five titles, the most recent coming in 2021. However, coach Vela Khumalo’s men haven’t quite lived up to expectations in the current campaign. After a narrow 0-1 defeat to Mozambique in their opener, Bafana Bafana bounced back with a 2-0 win over Zimbabwe. Still, their group position remains precarious: to top the group and reach the semifinals, South Africa must not only beat Mauritius but also hope group leaders Mozambique slip up against Zimbabwe in the parallel fixture.
Mauritius have traditionally been COSAFA underdogs and have never reached the semifinals before. This year, though, the islanders have shown uncharacteristic organization and discipline: in their opening two matches, they played out consecutive goalless draws against Zimbabwe and Mozambique. As a result, the intrigue in Group A remains alive going into the final round. A win over South Africa, combined with a Mozambique defeat, would give Mauritius a historic semifinal berth. If the other game ends in a draw, the goal difference will come into play, and as things stand, that does not favor Guillaume Mullec’s side.
Remarkably, heading into the last group match, all four Group A teams still have a shot at reaching the semifinals. Both South Africa and Mauritius will take to the pitch knowing how vital not only their own result is, but also the outcome of the simultaneous fixture. That promises to add extra tension and make this one of the most intriguing games of the entire group stage.
History is not on Mauritius’ side in this match-up: the teams have met seven times in recent history, with South Africa coming out on top every single time. In five of those games, the margin of victory was more than two goals. Their last encounter came in 2015, when South Africa ran out 2-0 winners in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Probable line-ups
- South Africa: Mbanjwa, Sebelebele, Okon, McCarthy, Msani, Moralo, Mngonyama, Mhize, Ntemtajela, Radiopane, Dlamini
- Mauritius: Jean-Louis, Antoine, Latoushan, Lang, Rose, Collard, Caliste, Brass, Stele, Rita, Arty
Match facts and H2H
- Mauritius are winless in their last seven matches: four draws and three defeats.
- The "both teams to score" bet hasn’t landed in any of South Africa’s last seven matches.
- Mauritius have scored in just one of their last seven games, highlighting the team’s attacking struggles.
- The sides have met 13 times overall: South Africa have nine wins, three draws, and just a single defeat.
Prediction
Given the squads, experience, and overall level of play, South Africa remain clear favorites. However, Mauritius have no option but to play for a win — it’s their only path to a historic semifinal. That will force them to push forward and leave spaces at the back, making the bet on South Africa’s individual total over 1.5 goals at odds of 1.77 especially appealing.
