Seychelles have only ever won a single match in the COSAFA Castle Cup competition but it turned out to be one of the greatest days in their football history.
The Pirates found their form in stunning style in their opening match of the 2008 COSAFA Castle Cup as they thumped Indian Ocean rivals Mauritius 7-0 in one of the greatest shocks in the history of the regional championship.
It was not so much that they registered the win, but the manner in which they did it as they tore the Mauritius defence to shreds.
Striker Philip Zialor proved the hero as he bagged four goals, to go with strikes from Colin Laporte, Don Annacoura and Trevor Poiret.
Seychelles only led 2-0 at halftime, but ran riot in the second period as coach Ulrich Mathiot, who also led the team at the 2015 COSAFA Castle Cup, masterminded their success.
Laporte gave Seychelles the lead on 14 minutes before Zialor got his first with a fine strike.
From then on it became the Zialor show as he bagged two more in an eight-minute spell just after halftime, before getting his fourth goal just before the end.
That came a minute after Poiret had netted for The Pirates, with Annacoura getting his goal midway through the second half.
Zialor had also played in the COSAFA Castle Cup in the three previous years, and would do so again in 2009, but this was the one and only time he found the back of the net.
The win is not the biggest in Seychelles’ history, they grabbed a 9-0 win over minnows the Maldives in 1979.
Seychelles have been drawn in Group A at the 2016 COSAFA Castle Cup alongside Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Madagascar.
MATCH STATISTICS
19 July, 2008 – Witbank
Mauritius 0
Seychelles (2) 7 (Colin Laporte 14’, Philip Zialor 35’, 51’, 59’, 88’, Don Annacoura 66’, Trevor Poiret 87’)
Ref.: Wellington Kaoma (Zambia)
Caution: Didier Gopual 34’
Mauritius: Didier Gopaul, Christopher Bazerque, Almondo Fricain, Stéphane L’Enflé, Vincent Labonté, Ashley Lemince (Fabrice Pithia), Charles Content, Johan Marmitte, Mikael Mitraille (Jean-Yves Andre [Fabien Pithia]), Kersley Jolicoeur, Westley Marquette. Coach: Ashjok Chundusing.
Seychelles: Ricky Rose, David Dorby (Rennick Esther), Nigel Freminot, Harry Libanotis, Godfrey Denis, Neddy Rose (Jonathan Bibi), Henny Dufrene, Colin Laporte (Trevor Poiret), Denis Barbe, Philip Zialor, Don Annacoura. Coach: Ulrich Mathiot.
