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Algerian Boualem Mankour has been confirmed as Mauritius’s new coach, signing a two-year contract with the team nicknamed ‘Club M’.<\/span><\/p>\n The Franco-Algerian technician knows Africa well, having coached Saint-Eloi Lupopo in DR Congo, KAC Kenitra (Morocco) and AS Gab\u00e8s (Tunisia).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The 49-year-old will now have his first experience as a national coach, having previously led DR Congo’s U17 side in 2014-2015. <\/span><\/p>\n His mission will be to relaunch ‘Club M’, who have already been eliminated from the race for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2022 World Cup. <\/span><\/p>\n “I will start by watching some games, talk with the coaches, clubs, the players in selection,” he said after a meeting with the Mauritius Sports Minister on Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n “We will look for new talents – as the future is with the youth – as we start to prepare for the next two years but we already have two games against Djibouti at the end of March.<\/span><\/p>\n “There were some errors in the past and ‘Club M’ must have a Mauritian identity. Of course, we will need the expats, who bring some level, but we must look at local players.” <\/span><\/p>\n Zunaid Mall, a Confederation of African Football instructor from South Africa, has also been recruited to act as head of development.<\/span><\/p>\n Mauritius Sports Minister Stephan Toussaint met both Mankour and Mall on Tuesday, in a meeting also attended by the Mauritius FA president.<\/span><\/p>\n “I describe this meeting as very cordial and very fruitful,” Toussaint said. <\/span><\/p>\n “This is a way of working, in synergy and communication with all those concerned, for the betterment of our football.” <\/span><\/p>\n Mauritius is currently ranked 172nd out of 210 countries by Fifa, according to statistics published last month.<\/span><\/p>\n The country has contested one previous Nations Cup tournament, finishing bottom of their group in 1974 after having made it through qualifying with wins against Lesotho and Tanzania. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n