The Mozambican national football team could lose its match against Mali, a qualifier for the African Cup of Nations (CAN), due to insecurity in Maputo, in the face of post-election protests, the president of the federation, Feizal Sidat, admitted today.
At stake is the fifth round of the qualifying group stage for the final phase of the 2025 African Cup of Nations (CAN) football tournament, scheduled for the Zimpeto National Stadium, on the outskirts of Maputo, on Friday, at 6:00 pm local time (4:00 pm in Lisbon), precisely on the third day of a new phase of protests called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, which have degenerated into violence since October.
Feizal Sidat said today, at a press conference in Maputo, that he is "absolutely certain" that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will attribute the "defeat" to the 'mambas' if "there is no security" for the two teams - and the refereeing team - to start training on Wednesday, the first day of the demonstrations.
If they lose this match in the 'office', Mozambique could jeopardize their second consecutive presence in the final phase of the CAN, at a time when, with two rounds to go, they lead Group I of the qualification, with eight points, the same as Mali, in second place, and four more than Guinea-Bissau, in third place, needing only a victory to secure qualification.
"We, as football men, are appealing here to everyone (...) so that they can talk to them [promoters]. We are here as Mozambicans, sportsmen, to pass on the message to them: mamba week, stop. Let's all focus on the same thing", asked Sidat.
The president of the FMF confirmed that on Thursday a letter from CAF was received in Maputo requesting security guarantees for the match, provided through a letter that also included the Secretary of State for Sports and the Mozambican Ministry of the Interior.
Given that this 'FIFA date' is already underway, he added that there is no possibility of the match being held on another date, outside Mozambique.
"We need to guarantee the security of all the protagonists in this game (...) There are three days left until the game and we have to hold it in Mozambique, calmly", said the president of the FMF, admitting to being "optimistic".
Nevertheless, he made an appeal: "We would like to appeal to the responsibility, tolerance and patriotism of all Mozambicans, because if this appeal is not met, our country could be sanctioned by the CAF with a defeat and a heavy fine".
The CAN2025 will be held between December 21, 2025 and January 18, 2026, in Morocco.
Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognize the announced results of the general elections of October 9, called on Monday for a new period of demonstrations in Mozambique, for three days, starting on Wednesday, in all provincial capitals, contesting the electoral process.
"We will demonstrate at the borders, at the ports and in the provincial capitals. All 11 provincial capitals (...) We will paralyze all activities so that they understand that the people are tired", requested Venâncio Mondlane.
The official spoke about the "fourth stage" of contesting the general elections process, which will have "several phases", to be announced later, and will also be against "kidnappings and hostage-takings" and "against the murder of the people".
"We will demonstrate for three days. Then we will take a break," he said in the same speech, which he said had been made since "exile", calling for the population of all districts to gather in each provincial capital, including Maputo, by Friday.
Regarding the impact of the national demonstration on 7 November in Maputo - the third stage of the protests - which led to a day of chaos in the Mozambican capital, he said that it was never his intention to carry out a coup d'état.
"If we wanted to carry out a coup d'état, we would have done it," he said, guaranteeing: "We will not give up, we will not retreat. They have already killed many people."
At least five people died, 38 were shot and 164 were arrested in Mozambique on 7 November, the last day of the third stage of the demonstrations called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, the Mozambican non-governmental organization (NGO) Plataforma Eleitoral Decide reported.
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