Mauritius Withdraw from Qualifiers



The national team of Mauritius, known as Club M have withdrawn from the preliminaries of the 2014 World Cup, thus giving the Lone Star of Liberia the passage to go to the group stage where they will engage the Ternaga Lions of Senegal, Uganda's Cranes and the Palancas Negras of Angola.

On November 11, the Lone Star were to meet Club M in the first leg preliminary contest in Belle Vue with the return leg expected in four days time in Monrovia. With the exit of the South African side, the Lone Star will now focus its attention to its 2013 Nations Cup preliminary match-up with the Brave Warriors of Namibia which should take place in February 2012. the draw for such competition was held over the weekend in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea where the draw for the 2012 Nations Cup final was held.
 

According to FIFA website Mauritius have announced their withdrawal from the preliminary competition for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.

Consequently, the team’s scheduled qualifying matches against Liberia on 11 and 15 November 2011 have been cancelled, with the Liberians automatically advancing to the next round, which is due to begin in June 2012.

Liberia will now compete in Group J, facing up to Senegal, Uganda and Angola, as determined at the Preliminary Draw in Rio de Janeiro on 30 July 2011.

The group winners advance to a 10-team playoff round to decide which five African nations play in 2014 in Brazil.

The decision means their opponents Liberia get a bye into the group stage of the qualifiers for Africa.

Fifa announced the 189th-ranked Mauritius' withdrawal without specifying reasons.

"Mauritius have announced their withdrawal from the preliminary competition for the 2014 Fifa World Cup," Fifa said in a statement.

Mauritius, which was chosen to host the 2013 Fifa Congress, was drawn to play Liberia in a home-and-away series on 11 and 15 November.

A source within the Mauritan FA has said that lack of funds is the main reason put forward for the withdrawal.

"This game would have cost 2 million Mauritian Rupees (US$70,500) and the FA cannot afford it," the source said.

The Mauritius FA is in turmoil in recent weeks with two rival groups fighting for chairmanship of the local FA.

The group winner advances to a 10-team playoff round to decide which five African nations play in 2014 in Brazil.

Mauritius is the second country to withdraw from qualifying.

Bahamas pulled out of its Concacaf group in August because its national stadium could not host matches.


Mauritius are the second country to withdraw from qualifying. Bahamas pulled out of their Concafa group in August because their national stadium could not host matches.