AFCON qualifier between Mozambique and Mali in doubt due to insecurity in Maputo
At stake is the match of the fifth round of the qualifying group stage for the final phase of the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), scheduled for the Zimpeto National Stadium, on the outskirts of Maputo, on Friday at 18:00 local time (17:00 CET), precisely on the third day of a new phase of demonstrations called by presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, which have degenerated into violence since October.
Sidat said at a press conference in Maputo that he is "absolutely certain" that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will hand a "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 Mozambique loses this match before a ball is kicked, it could jeopardise its second consecutive appearance in the final phase of the CAN, at a time when, with two rounds to play, they lead Group I with eight points, the same as Mali, second, and four more than Guinea-Bissau, third, needing just one win to ensure qualification.
"We, as football men, are appealing to everyone here... so that they can talk to them (the promoters of the demonstrations). We're here as Mozambicans, sportsmen, so that you can pass the message on to them: Mambas week, stop. Let's all focus on the same thing," Sidat asked.
The FMF president confirmed that on Thursday a letter was received in Maputo from CAF requesting security guarantees for the match, which was also sent by the Secretary of State for Sport and the Mozambican Ministry of the Interior.
Bearing in mind that this international break is already underway, he added that there is no possibility of the match taking place on another date outside of Mozambique.
"We have to guarantee the safety of everyone involved in this game... There are three days to go until the match and we have to hold it in Mozambique, calmly," said the FMF president, admitting he was "optimistic".
Nevertheless, he left an appeal: "We would like to appeal to the responsibility, tolerance and patriotism of all Mozambicans, because if this appeal is not answered, our country could be penalised by CAF with a defeat and a heavy fine."
The finals for the Africa Cup of Nations will be played between December 21st 2025 and January 18th 2026 in Morocco.
Presidential candidate Mondlane, who does not recognise the announced results of the general election on October 9th, called on Monday for a new period of demonstrations in the country, for three days, starting on Wednesday, in all the provincial capitals, contesting the electoral process.
"We're going to demonstrate at the borders, in the harbours and in the provincial capitals. All 11 provincial capitals... We're going to paralyse all activities so that they realise that the people are tired," said Mondlane.
He was talking about the 'fourth stage' of protest against the general election process, which will have "several phases", to be announced later, and will also be against "kidnappings and abductions" and "against the murder of the people".
"For three days we will demonstrate. Then we'll take a break," he said in the same speech, which he said was made from 'exile', calling for the population of all the districts to gather until Friday in each provincial capital, including Maputo.
On the impact of the November 7th national demonstration 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'etat.
"If we wanted to carry out a coup d'etat, we would have done it," he said, guaranteeing: "We're not going to give up, we're not going to back down. Too many people have already been killed."
At least five people died, 38 were shot and 164 arrested in Mozambique on November 7th, the last day of the third stage of the demonstrations called by presidential candidate Mondlane, according to the Mozambican non-governmental organisation (NGO) Plataforma Eleitoral Decide.
