The president of the Mozambican Football Federation (FMF), Feizal Sidat, has expressed concern about the tension in the country, highlighting the need for peace and tranquillity during training and the match between Mozambique and Mali at the Zimpeto National Stadium on Friday.
Sidat said it was essential “that we are united in a peaceful environment to support the ‘Mambas’”, noting that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had issued a statement requesting that all conditions for the match to go ahead be ensured.
The FMF stresses that, in the event of disorder preventing the match from taking place, Mozambique will be awarded a loss for failure to appear and given a significant fine, jeopardising Mozambique’s aspirations of qualifying for the 2025 African Nations Cup (ANC).
“As the entity responsible for football, we appeal to the responsibility and patriotism of all Mozambicans so that they can attend the stadium and support the ‘Mambas’. We are sensitive to the current situation, but we believe that football can be a factor for unity,” the FMF concludes.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Mozambican Football Federation (FMF) and the government, through the Secretariat of State for Sport, had assured the CAF that conditions are in place for the match between the Mozambique football team and its counterpart from Mali to go ahead. Integrity reported earlier.
According a Televisão de Moçambique broadcast on November 9, cited by Integrity Magazine, the Zimpeto stadium will host the Mozambique vs Mali match with the approval of CAF, which will monitor the country’s socio-political environment throughout the week.
The doubt existed due to the demonstrations that have been taking place in the country, with a focus on the city of Maputo. The country’s state of socio-political instability led CAF to seek information from FMF and the government on whether it was safe to play at Zimpeto.
According to CAF, the concern is not only with the game on November 15, but also covers the teams’ travel within the country and the normal holding of training sessions, among other aspects.
Friday’s match is part of the fifth round of Group I of the Africa Cup of Nations qualification. AFCON will held in Morocco next year. The sixth round will be played on November 19 in Guinea-Bissau, at the 24 de Setembro Stadium.
Mozambique currently leads the qualifying group with eight points, followed by Mali with the same number of points. In third place is Guinea-Bissau with four points and in last place is the Eswatini team.