A history of sport in the archipelago

Before the stadiums

Long before there were championships, the islands had their games of strength and skill. Mrengué, bare-knuckle boxing set to the rhythm of drums, is fought in the evening on village squares, especially during Ramadan. Outrigger canoes, long the fishermen's working boats, became racing craft, and people pit their wits at mraha, a strategy game played on a wooden board. These traditions are presented in Traditional sports and games.

1979, the founding year

1979 marked a turning point. In Réunion, where the idea had originated, the first Indian Ocean Island Games were held from 25 August to 1 September, supported by the International Olympic Committee. The same year saw the birth of the Comoros Football Federation. Its championship is played in two stages: each island crowns its champion, then the champions of Grande Comore, Mohéli and Anjouan compete for the national title. Coin Nord of Mitsamiouli won the first edition, in 1979–1980.

On the Olympic and African stage

The Comoros took part in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1996, in Atlanta. Their football joined FIFA in 2005, but the international beginnings were modest: when the French-Comorian coach Amir Abdou took charge of the national team in 2014, it was only 198th in the world rankings. It would take him eight years to lead it to its first Africa Cup. His profile appears in Figures & feats.

Mayotte in the Coupe de France

In Mayotte, football comes under the French Football Federation. Every season, the island's best clubs play the regional rounds of the Coupe de France, then the winner moves on to the national rounds, where it faces clubs from Réunion or mainland France. In December 2020, FC M'Tsapéré became the first Mahoran club to reach the round of 64, after knocking out JS Saint-Pierroise, from Réunion, on penalties (1–1, 5–4).

2022, the Coelacanths' great adventure

In January 2022, the Comoros played their very first Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon (the 2021 edition, postponed by a year). On 18 January, in Garoua, they beat Ghana 3–2: El Fardou Ben Nabouhane scored the country's first ever goal in the competition, and Ahmed Mogni scored twice. Through to the round of 16, the Coelacanths faced the host nation on 24 January in Yaoundé, deprived of all three of their goalkeepers by Covid and injury: the defender Chaker Alhadhur played in goal. Down to ten men from the 7th minute, they lost only 2–1.

From AFCON 2025 to the 2027 Games

The Coelacanths returned to the Africa Cup at the end of 2025, in Morocco. Beaten by the host nation in the opening match, they then held Zambia and Mali to draws (0–0), without managing to get out of their group. The next big event will be on home soil: from 10 to 19 August 2027, the Comoros will host the Indian Ocean Island Games for the first time. See The Indian Ocean Island Games.