Mozambique: Feizal Sidat elected member of the Executive Committee
AFCON qualifiers: Tonight is the night for Mozambique’s Mambas to beat Eswatini
3:10 CAT | 14 Oct 2024
File photo: Federação Moçambicana de Futebol
The Mambas face Eswatini in the fourth round of Group I of the qualifying phase for the African Football Championship (CAN 2025) in Nelspruit today (Monday, 14-10).
The match takes place in Nelspruit because Eswatini does not have a stadium capable of hosting Confederation of African Football (CAF) matches.
The Mambas need to win the match to gain momentum in the league table. Going into the fourth round, they are in second place with five points.
The Mambas’ 1-1 draw against Satini was a draw-back, as a victory would have seen Mozambique remain top of the group, as was the wish of the national team’s coaching staff.
Mali is the new leader of the group with seven points, having beaten Guinea Bissau 1-0. Despite the draw against the “Swatis”, nothing is lost for the national team.
To continue dreaming of leading Group I, the Mambas must dispatch Eswatini and hope for a draw between Guinea Bissau and Mali without opening the scoring.
If this happens, Mozambique and Mali will have eight points, with the number of goals scored and conceded making the difference. The Mambas have scored four goals and conceded three. Mali, on the other hand, have scored three goals and conceded one.
The Malians conceded the only goal against the national team in the 1-1 draw in the opening round of Group I. In the last two rounds of the qualifying phase, Mozambique will face Guinea Bissau away and Mali at home.
Ernani fit to play and Malembane out
The Mambas are expected to field Ernani for today’s match against Sestini. He was benched for the Maputo match after being suspended for yellow cards accumulated in the matches against Mali and Guinea Bissau.
The goalkeeper could be the first option for Chiquinho Conde, who is expected to replace Ivan Urrubal. Ernani conceded two of the three goals against the Mambas in the three matches played so far.
The Mambas go into Monday’s match with a setback. The national team will be without Malembane, a player who was not even on the bench for the match at the Estádio Nacional do Zimpeto, despite having been part of the group during the preparation for the match.
According to Chiquinho Conde, who spoke to the press after the 1-1 draw, the absence of the central defender who plays in Germany was due to administrative problems, although he did not reveal exactly what they were.
According to ‘O País’, the athlete has already returned to Germany to join his team. Regarding Witi, who left the Estádio Nacional do Zimpeto injured, there is still no certainty about his clinical condition.
Apart from Witi’s situation, Chiquinho Conde will have all the players he called up for this double round of matches available. Macandza, Jonathan Muiomo, Ali Abudo, Chamboco, Martinho, João Bonde and Fazito are the only players who did not play in the third-round matches.
Mr. Chiquinho Conde e o jogador Nené fazem a antevisão do jogo da quarta jornada de qualificação ao CAN 2025, amanhã diante do Eswatini.#AFCONQ2025 #Mozambique #Osmambas pic.twitter.com/rvP8WNhmsW
— 🇲🇿Mozambique TheMambas #WCQ #WCQ2026 (@moz_osmambas) October 13, 2024
Mambas 🇲🇿 ja no Mbombela📍🇿🇦#AFCONQ2025 #Mozambique #Eswatine pic.twitter.com/8rO0IwdvV4
— 🇲🇿Mozambique TheMambas #WCQ #WCQ2026 (@moz_osmambas) October 13, 2024
The #AFCONQ2025 action doesn’t stop. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ij4KhVu6Fj
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) October 14, 2024
Source: O País
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