Mozambique will face a stern test of their skills and resolve when they face Group L leaders Senegal in Matchday 3 of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers, set for the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium in Dakar on the evening of Friday, 24 March 2023. Kick-off is at 9pm CAT.
Senegal, the reigning Afcon champions, have made a strong start in their qualification campaign, topping the standings with a full six points after wins over Benin (3-1 at home) and Rwanda (1-0 away).
Coach Aliou Cisse, who took his team to the round of 16 in the World Cup in Qatar, has called up three newcomers (Moussa Niakhate, Pape Ousmane Sakho and Sochalien Abdallah Ndour) to continue evolving a settled team which features stars such as Sadio Mane, Idrissa Gueye and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Cisse has also taken a stand in favour of local coaches for African national teams, pointing to his own example, as well as that of Morocco’s Walid Regragui, to prove that foreign tacticians are not necessary for success.
“African coaches should be given the respect they deserve,” said Cisse. “They should understand that they are fighting for legitimacy in the African continent. They should start believing that they are capable of winning and when I say winning, I mean winning big.”
Mozambique, meanwhile, made a solid start to their qualification campaign by securing a 1-1 home draw with Rwanda and 1-0 away win over Benin, leaving them just two points off the pace of Senegal.
The Mambas have not appeared at the Afcon finals since 2010 and will be desperate to finish in the top two of the group. Their locally based team showed real promise at the recent African Nations Championship (Chan), progressing through a tough group featuring Ethiopia, Algeria and Libya, before succumbing to Madagascar in the knockouts.
Coach Chiquinho Conde hopes they can build on that momentum: “The morale of the group is good. We have to accelerate and stay focused on our main objective, which is our next opponent.”
In head-to-head stats, Senegal and Mozambique have met in seven previous matches dating back as far as 1986. The Teranga Lions boast an unbeaten record (five wins, two draws) and edged the Mambas on penalties (after a 1-1 draw) in the teams’ most recent meeting, which was in the third-place playoff of the 2022 Cosafa Cup.
The teams will meet in the return Group L game in Maputo next Tuesday, 28 March.
