Mozambique national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mozambique

Nickname(s)	Os Mambas (The Mambas)
Association	Federação Moçambicana de Futebol (FMF)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	COSAFA (Southern Africa)
Head coach	Chiquinho Conde
Captain	Mexer
Most caps	Domingues (116)
Top scorer	Tico-Tico (30)
Home stadium	Estádio do Zimpeto
FIFA code	MOZ
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	116 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	66 (November 1997)
Lowest	134 (July 2005, September 2006)
Elo ranking
Current	137 11 (3 March 2019)
Highest	85 (September 1985)
Lowest	151 (March 2003)
First international
Mozambique 2–1 Zambia  (Mozambique; 25 June 1975)
Biggest win
Mozambique 6–1 Lesotho  (Mozambique; 10 August 1980)  Mozambique 5–0 South Sudan  (Maputo, Mozambique; 18 May 2014)  Mozambique 5–0 Lesotho  (Maputo, Mozambique; 2 June 2021)
Biggest defeat
Zimbabwe 6–0 Mozambique  (Salisbury, Zimbabwe; 20 April 1980)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	6 (first in 1986)
Best result	Group stage (1986, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2023)
African Nations Championship
Appearances	2 (first in 2014)
Best result	Quarter finals (2022)
COSAFA Cup
Appearances	19 (first in 1997)
Best result	Runners-up (2008, 2015)
Medal record COSAFA Cup Silver 2008 South Africa Silver 2015 South Africa Bronze 1997 Southern Africa Bronze 2009 Zimbabwe Bronze 2024 South Africa

The Mozambique national football team, also known as Os Mambas (The Mambas), represents Mozambique in international men's football. The team is managed by the Mozambican Football Federation. Mozambique has never played in a FIFA World Cup. However, they have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations six times. These appearances were in 1986, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2023, and 2025. In all their past appearances, they were eliminated in the first round.

The team also played in the African Nations Championship twice. In the 2022 tournament, they won their first-ever match. They also reached the knockout stage of a major African tournament for the first time. Mozambique's home stadium is Estádio do Zimpeto in Maputo. It can hold 42,000 fans. The current head coach is Chiquinho Conde, a former player.

Team History

Early Days of Football

Mozambique played its very first football match on the day it became independent in 1975. They played against Zambia in a friendly game and won 2–1. Two years later, Cuba became their first opponent from outside Africa. Cuba won that game 2–0.

Mozambique first tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 1982. They played against Zaire but lost 7–3 over two matches.

First Africa Cup of Nations Appearance (1986)

Mozambique qualified for its first Africa Cup of Nations in 1986. To get there, they beat Mauritius, Malawi, and Libya. They won two of these matches after penalty shootouts.

At the tournament in Egypt, Mozambique was in a group with Senegal, Ivory Coast, and host nation Egypt. They lost all their games, not scoring any goals.

Return to the Africa Cup of Nations (1996)

It took 10 years for Mozambique to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations again. They made it to the 1996 tournament in South Africa. They were in a group with Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Tunisia.

In their first game against Tunisia, they drew 1–1. Tico-Tico scored Mozambique's first-ever goal in the tournament finals. They then lost to Ivory Coast (1–0) and Ghana (2–0), which meant they were out of the tournament.

Third Appearance (1998)

Just two years later, Mozambique qualified for their third Africa Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso. They were in Group D with Morocco, Egypt, and Zambia.

Mozambique lost their first game 2–0 to Egypt. They then lost 3–0 to Morocco, which meant they were eliminated. In their last game against Zambia, they drew 1–1, scoring their only goal of that tournament. After this, it would be 12 years until their next Africa Cup of Nations appearance.

Journey to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations

Mozambique started their journey to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the second round. They were in a tough group with Botswana, Madagascar, and Ivory Coast. They had a difficult start, losing to Ivory Coast and Botswana.

However, they improved, beating Madagascar 3–0. Goals came from Tico-Tico, Carlitos, and Domingues. They then drew with Ivory Coast and beat Botswana to move to the third round.

The national football team of Mozambique before a game against Tunisia

Armando Sá played six games for Mozambique

In the third round, Mozambique was in a group with Nigeria, Tunisia, and Kenya. They drew their first game against Nigeria 0–0. They later beat Kenya 1–0 with a goal from Tico-Tico. Although they didn't qualify for the World Cup, this win helped them finish third in their group. This result was enough to qualify for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

2010 Africa Cup of Nations

After a 12-year break, Mozambique returned to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2010. They were in Group C with Egypt, Nigeria, and Benin. In their first game against Benin, they drew 2–2 after being 2–0 down. Goals were scored by Miro and Fumo.

They then lost 2–0 to Egypt and 3–0 to Nigeria, which meant they were out of the tournament. After this competition, their all-time top scorer and captain, Tico-Tico, retired from international football.

Recent Years and AFCON Qualifications

Mozambique came close to qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations several times. In the 2013 qualifiers, they beat Morocco 2–0 at home in the first game. However, they lost 4–0 in the second game and did not qualify. In the 2019 qualifiers, they were very close but a late goal from Guinea-Bissau stopped them.

In 2023, Mozambique finally qualified for the AFCON again, their first time since 2010. They beat Benin 3–2 at home on the last day of qualification. At the finals, they finished last in their group. They drew 2–2 with both Egypt and Ghana but lost 3–0 to Cape Verde.

Mozambique has also qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be their sixth appearance in the tournament.

Coaching the Mambas

Mart Nooij became the manager of Mozambique in 2007

Many coaches have led the Mozambique national team over the years. Some notable coaches include Mart Nooij from the Netherlands and Abel Xavier from Portugal. The current coach is Chiquinho Conde, who took over in 2021.

Team Players

Current Squad Members

The players listed below were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in March 2025.

Caps and goals are correct as of November 19, 2024, after the match against Guinea-Bissau.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Ernan	(1998-07-09) 9 July 1998 (age 27)	33	0	Black Bulls
12	1GK	Kimiss Zavala	(2004-05-08) 8 May 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Marítimo B
22	1GK	Ivane Urrubal	(1997-03-01) 1 March 1997 (age 28)	11	0	Songo
2	2DF	Nanani	(1996-02-08) 8 February 1996 (age 29)	30	0	Songo
3	2DF	Nené	(1996-11-15) 15 November 1996 (age 28)	35	1	Black Bulls
4	2DF	Chamboco	(1998-06-15) 15 June 1998 (age 27)	4	0	Black Bulls
5	2DF	Bruno Langa	(1997-10-31) 31 October 1997 (age 27)	29	1	Almería
8	2DF	Edmilson Dove	(1994-07-18) 18 July 1994 (age 31)	43	0	Kaizer Chiefs
14	2DF	Domingos Macandza	(1998-06-17) 17 June 1998 (age 27)	24	0	Black Bulls
15	2DF	Chico	(1991-11-05) 5 November 1991 (age 33)	39	0	Costa do Sol
17	2DF	Reinildo Mandava	(1994-01-21) 21 January 1994 (age 31)	47	4	Sunderland
6	3MF	Amadú	(1996-03-12) 12 March 1996 (age 29)	32	0	Tanzania Prisons
7	3MF	João Bonde	(1997-01-09) 9 January 1997 (age 28)	15	0	Ferroviário Beira
11	3MF	Pepo	(1994-03-24) 24 March 1994 (age 31)	5	0	Caldas
16	3MF	Alfons Amade	(1999-11-12) 12 November 1999 (age 25)	9	2	Dunfermline Athletic
21	3MF	Guima	(1995-11-14) 14 November 1995 (age 29)	14	2	Zira
23	3MF	Shaquille	(1997-11-24) 24 November 1997 (age 27)	41	0	Sagrada Esperança
	3MF	Domingues	(1983-11-13) 13 November 1983 (age 41)	115	16	Songo
9	4FW	Elias Macamo	(1994-01-14) 14 January 1994 (age 31)	8	1	Ferroviário de Maputo
10	4FW	Clésio (captain)	(1994-10-11) 11 October 1994 (age 30)	54	10	Black Bulls
13	4FW	Stanley Ratifo	(1994-12-05) 5 December 1994 (age 30)	38	7	Chemie Leipzig
18	4FW	Gildo	(1995-01-31) 31 January 1995 (age 30)	44	3	Jerash
19	4FW	Witi	(1996-08-26) 26 August 1996 (age 28)	44	4	Al Orooba
20	4FW	Geny Catamo	(2001-01-26) 26 January 2001 (age 24)	30	9	Sporting CP
	4FW	Kélvio Neves	(2005-01-02) 2 January 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Black Bulls

Player Records

These tables show the players with the most games played and the most goals scored for Mozambique. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for the national team.

Most Games Played

Top Goal Scorers

Tournament Performance

FIFA World Cup Record

Mozambique has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. They have participated in the qualification rounds many times.

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1974	Part of  Portugal									Part of  Portugal
1978	Not a FIFA member									Not a FIFA member
1982	Did not qualify									2	0	0	2	3	7
1986 and 1990	Did not enter									Declined participation
1994	Did not qualify									4	0	1	3	3	11
1998										2	0	1	1	1	3
2002										2	1	0	1	2	2
2006										2	0	0	2	3	5
2010										12	4	3	5	10	10
2014										8	2	3	3	7	11
2018										2	1	0	1	1	1
2022										8	3	1	4	5	8
2026	To be determined									6	4	0	2	10	11
2030										To be determined
2034
Total	–	0/11	–	–	–	–	–	–		48	15	9	24	45	69

Africa Cup of Nations Record

Mozambique has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations six times. They have reached the group stage in all their appearances.

African Cup of Nations record											Qualification record
Appearances: 6											Appearances: 23
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1957	Part of  Portugal										Part of  Portugal
1959
1962
1963
1965
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976	Not affiliated to CAF										Not affiliated to CAF
1978
1980	Did not enter										Did not enter
1982	Did not qualify										4	1	1	2	11	8
1984											2	1	0	1	3	4
1986	Group stage	8th	3	0	0	3	0	7	Squad		6	2	3	1	8	5
1988	Did not qualify										2	0	1	1	3	4
1990											2	0	0	2	0	4
1992											4	2	0	2	3	3
1994											6	1	3	2	5	7
1996	Group stage	14th	3	0	1	2	1	4	Squad		10	6	2	2	16	8
1998		16th	3	0	0	3	1	8	Squad		6	3	1	2	10	7
2000	Did not qualify										6	2	1	3	6	10
2002											2	1	0	1	1	1
2004											6	2	2	2	3	8
2006											2	0	0	2	3	5
2008											6	2	3	1	5	4
2010	Group stage	15th	3	0	1	2	2	7	Squad		12	4	3	5	10	10
2012	Did not qualify										6	2	1	3	4	6
2013											4	1	2	1	4	6
2015											10	3	5	2	13	7
2017											6	2	1	3	5	7
2019											6	2	2	2	7	7
2021											6	1	1	4	5	10
2023	Group stage	21st	3	0	2	1	4	7	Squad		6	3	1	2	8	9
2025	Qualified										6	3	2	1	9	5
2027	To be determined										To be determined
2029
Total	Group stage	6/35	15	0	4	11	8	33	—		126	44	35	47	139	145

African Nations Championship Record

Mozambique has played in the African Nations Championship twice. In 2022, they reached the quarter-finals.

African Nations Championship record
Appearances: 2
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2009	Did not qualify
2011
2014	Group stage	16th	3	0	0	3	4	9
2016	Did not qualify
2018
2020
2022	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	1	2	4	6
Total	Quarter-finals	2/7	6	1	1	5	8	15

COSAFA Cup Achievements

Mozambique has done well in the COSAFA Cup, a regional tournament.

• Runners-up (2): 2008, 2015
• Third place (3): 1997, 2009, 2024

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Mozambique para niños