Mauritius Dodos Beat Sri Lanka 3-0 in Dominant Home Friendly

Mauritius's national football team, the Dodos — officially known as Club M — put on an impressive display on Friday 2 October 2026, beating Sri Lanka 3-0 in the first of two scheduled friendly matches at the Côte d'Or Sports Complex in the centre of the island. The result marks a significant milestone for the squad: it is the first home victory since Portuguese coach Rui Pedro took charge of the national side. **First half: Dodos take control early** Mauritius wasted little time asserting their dominance. In the 27th minute, Stephan De Robillard broke the deadlock by converting a penalty with composure, settling any early nerves in the stadium. Six minutes later, William François doubled the advantage with a well-taken goal, sending the Dodos into half-time with a comfortable 2-0 lead. **Second half: job done — but tempers flare** The second half continued in much the same vein. Aurélien François added a third goal in the 58th minute to put the result beyond any doubt and wrap up a convincing win for the home side. The match was not without incident, however. Shortly after the third Mauritian goal, a heated argument broke out involving the Sri Lankan head coach and the match referee. After a prolonged and animated confrontation, the Sri Lankan coach was sent off — an unusual and dramatic moment in what was otherwise a friendly fixture. **What this means** For Mauritian football, this result carries real symbolic weight. Rui Pedro, who took over the national team setup to help raise standards and results, had yet to record a home win before this match. A clean sheet and three goals against an Asian opponent provides a confidence boost ahead of the second friendly between the two sides. The Côte d'Or Sports Complex, built for the 2019 African Games in the Moka district, has become the home venue for major national football fixtures and can host large crowds, giving these matches a genuine big-game atmosphere. Goalscorers De Robillard and the François brothers — William and Aurélien — will be the names on supporters' lips ahead of the second meeting between the two nations. Source: ION News