AFCON 2025: Mozambique drawn in same group with African champions

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AFCON 2025: Mozambique drawn in same group with African champions

1:15 CAT | 28 Jan 2025

File photo: Notícias

The Mozambican football team is in Group ‘F’ of the AFCON 2025 alongside Ivory Coast, current African champion, Cameroon and Gabon, as dictated by the draw held yesterday in Rabat, Morocco, the country that will host the competition from December 21 to January 18, 2026.

In the first round, the ‘Mambas’ will face Ivory Coast on December 24. They will then play against Gabon and Cameroon on the 28th and 31st of the same month, respectively.

This is undoubtedly a group with a high level of difficulty. In addition to facing the ‘Elephants’, two-time African champions, Mozambique will face Cameroon, who have already lifted the trophy on five occasions and are the second most successful team, behind Egypt with seven.

The fact that the national team had been placed in Group 4, the lesser-rated teams, did not give them much chance of avoiding clashes with opponents from the top of Africa, which was indeed confirmed. It will be up to the Moroccans, as hosts, to play the opening game, with the Comoros as their opponent on 21 December in the first round of Group ‘A’.

This will be AFCON’s 35th edition – the tournament was first played in 1957. It is the third oldest continental competition in football, behind South America (1916) and Asia (1956).

The groups

Group ‘A’: Morocco, Mali, Zambia and Comoros;

Group ‘B’: Egypt, South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe;

Group ‘C’: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania;

Group ‘D’: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin and Botswana;

Group ‘E’: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan;

Group ‘F’: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique

Conde reacts to the AFCON draw: “We have a say.”

National football coach Chiquinho Conde says that the ‘Mambas’ have a say in Group F of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), after the national football team was placed in a tough group, made up of the giants Ivory Coast, current African champions, Cameroon and Gabon.

Speaking after the draw, Chiquinho Conde stressed that, despite the presence of renowned teams, the national team has reason to believe in its potential.

“We are here among the 24 best African teams (…) and it was due to all the merit and what we have done so far,” the ‘Mambas’ helmsman said.

However, the Ivory Coast captain did not mention Mozambique when referring to the teams in the group, something that, according to Conde, could be used as an incentive.

“This could work in our favour,” Conde said, suggesting that the lack of recognition could be transformed into a positive force by the players.

The ‘Mambas’ first game will be against Ivory Coast, on 24 December, and the coach stressed the importance of an ambitious approach. “This is our fight, this is our mission: to achieve something that people least expect,” Conde concluded, underlining the team’s determination to surprise with a good performance in the tournament.

Source: Notícias