The Comoros have called up 23 players for the first leg of their African Nations Cup qualifier against Mauritius in Moroni on Friday.

Coach Amir Abdou has stuck with the core of players who have helped make the small island nation more competitive in continental qualifiers over the last two years but also handed a first call up to the country’s under-20 captain Youssouf Habib of Volcan Club of Moroni.

Only five of the squad members are home based with the rest from clubs across Europe.

The winner of the two-legged confrontation will advance to Group B of the 2019 qualifiers, made up of Cameroon, Morocco and Malawi.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Ali Ahamada (Kayserispor, Turkey), Salim Ben Boina (GS Consolat, France), Mahamoud Mroivili (Enfants des Comores)

Defenders: Kassim Abdallah (AC Ajaccio, France), Chaker Alhadhur (Caen, France), Youssouf Habib (Volcan Club), Salim Mramboini (GS Consolat, France), Ibrahim Rachidi (Olympique Marseille, France), Bendjaloud Youssouf (Orléans, France), Camal Youssoufa (Amiens, France)

Midfielders: Nadjim Abdou (Millwall, England), Rafidine Abdullah (Cadiz, Spain), Ancoub Mze Ali (Nice, France), Fouad Bachirou (Östersunds FK, Sweden), Faouz Faidine (Fomboni), Youssouf M’Changama (Gazelec Ajaccio, France), Mohamed Youssouf (Levadiakos, Greece)

Forwards: Youssouf Ahamadi (Belfort, France), Djamel Bakar (Sporting Charleroi, Belgium), El Fardou Ben Mohamed (Panionios, Greece), Nasser Chamed (Nîmes, France), Mohamed M’Changama (US Zilimadjou), Chadhuli Mdradabi (Ngaya Club).