By Neilley Claude EBESSA,
Journalist kick442.com – Cameroon
Mozambique step into uncharted territory this Monday when they face Nigeria in the Round of 16 of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 at the Stade de Fes, carrying both the weight of history and the freedom of outsiders with nothing to lose.
For head coach Chiquinho Conde, qualification for the knockout stages at their sixth AFCON appearance is already a landmark achievement — but not the end of the journey.
It’s extraordinary to have qualified for the Round of 16,” Conde said. “We are still enjoying this moment, but our full focus is now on a match of extreme importance against Nigeria, one of the giants of African football. With humility and a strong desire to compete — and why not to win — we want to enter history again.”
Mozambique became the 33rd nation to reach the AFCON knockout rounds after recording their first-ever AFCON finals victory, defeating Gabon in the group stage. That win remains their only victory in 18 AFCON matches (D4 L13), underlining how significant their current run has been.
Statistically, the challenge is immense. Mozambique have never kept a clean sheet at AFCON, conceding in all 18 matches they have played — a record shared only with Zimbabwe. They have also never beaten a West African opponent, losing seven of nine matches, and failed to score in all seven defeats.
Yet Conde insists pressure lies firmly with Nigeria.
There is no pressure on us. The pressure is on Nigeria,” he said. “We will play with respect for the opponent, but also with the joy of doing what we love. Our great strength is the collective. The best team is the one that truly plays as a team.”
Mozambique’s group-stage campaign reflected both promise and pain. They lost their final match 2–1 to Cameroon despite scoring first, the first time they had ever lost an AFCON match when leading. Still, they have now scored in their last two AFCON matches, something they had never achieved before in a single edition.
If they score again against Nigeria, it would mark the first time Mozambique have scored in three matches at one AFCON finals.
One of the standout performers has been Geny Catamo, who became the first Mozambican player to score in back-to-back AFCON matches, taking his tally to three AFCON goals, the most by any player from the country. Against Cameroon, Mozambique’s defensive resilience was embodied by Edmilson Dove, who won nine duels and five aerial battles, the most by any player in that match.
Capitain Elias Pelembe “Dominguez”
For captain Elias Pelembe “Dominguez”, the occasion transcends statistics.
The spirit of the group is very good,” he said. “We want to show once again what we are worth, and we have this opportunity against an opponent of Nigeria’s stature. It’s another match. We will give everything.”
Mozambique have never played a 0–0 draw at AFCON, with all 18 matches producing goals, a trend that hints at an open contest despite Nigeria’s historical dominance in the fixture. The Super Eagles remain unbeaten in five meetings with Mozambique (W4 D1), including a 3–0 win in their only previous AFCON encounter in 2010.
Still, Conde believes his team’s journey has already reshaped perceptions.
We were outsiders from the start. We were placed in the last pot and had to keep travelling,” he said. “But we like travelling, and we like representing our country. This is a patriotic mission — football is a source of hope for our people.”
Mozambique will be without Nenê, while Edmilson remains a doubt. Calila has recovered, and Bruno Langa was rested as a precaution. Conde remains confident in his group.
Even the young players have shown they are ready to represent the country. The players are happy, united and fully committed,” he said.
As Nigeria’s pedigree, statistics and scoring power loom large, Mozambique arrive in Fes armed with belief, collective spirit and the freedom of a team already rewriting its history — ready, as their captain insists, “to compete for 90 minutes.”
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