MAPUTO: The Mambas of Mozambique are one of the dark horses at Angola 2010 after a solid showing in the qualifying series for the tournament.
This African Nations Cup will be Mozambique s fourth appearance at the finals, having also featured in the 1986, 1996 and 1998 editions of the competition. In all three appearances, they failed to advance past the group stage.
The southern Africans held their own against the likes of Tunisia and Nigeria to finish in third place with seven points and stage a return to the Nations Cup 11 years after their last appearance in Burkina Faso.
The Mambas have been together for a long time and the longevity of the squad – made up of determined, young players – has continued to rub off on the perfect understanding and cohesion on the pitch.
Save for a handful of players including skipper Manuel Bucuane aka Tico Tico and striker Dario Monteiro, Mozambique are largely an inexperienced squad and short of exposure as most of the players ply their trade back home and in South Africa, with just a few based in Europe.
South Africa-based Monteiro is the team s leading scorer, netting the all-important match winner at home, beating Tunisia on the final day of action in the qualifiers. His experience spans stints in several clubs in Portugal, Cyprus, UAE and South Africa. He and Tico Tico are the only survivors from Burkina Faso 1998.
Another South Africa-based forward, Pelembe, holds the future of the Mambas.
Pelembe is regarded as the brightest young talent in Mozambique groomed to take the center stage after the exit of Tico Tico and Monteiro.
He is often played on the right wing and uses his speed and athleticism to great effect. He won two PSL championships with Supersport United before he moved to big-spending Mamelodi Sundowns, also in the South African top flight, in the off-season.
Mozambique are drawn against Egypt and Nigeria in Group C in Benguela, but have insisted they will not be intimidated by the credentials of their first round opponents.
We ll just have to compete and see what happens. Egypt are the champions of Africa so that won t be easy, but if we believe in ourselves maybe we can spring some surprises. Nigeria and Egypt would seem the obvious teams to qualify but anything can happen, said Tico Tico. -AFP
