Mozambique National Team: Mambas Football Squad, Fixtures and African Kick Off Times

Os Mambas, meaning the Mambas, represent Mozambique in senior men's football under the Mozambican Football Federation, with membership of CAF and COSAFA. Mozambique appeared at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1986, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2023 and 2025. South African soccer followers can explore Mozambique's connections with Bafana Bafana, while supporters in Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda can trace meetings with the Super Eagles, Black Stars and Cranes. Squad entries group Mambas players into their playing roles, and fixture listings pair Mozambique's matches with WAT, EAT, SAST and GMT kick off times.

Mozambique first reached the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage in 2025. Follow Mambas selections through the squad module, check match dates in the fixtures and use the results to trace each campaign.

Who Are the Mambas, and Where Do Mozambique Sit in African Football?

Mozambique are a Southern African side with a long history in CAF and a founding place in COSAFA, the regional body they helped start in 1997. Their first match recognised by FIFA came on 25 June 1975, Independence Day, when they beat Zambia 2 to 1 in a friendly. That recognised international debut coincided with Mozambique’s Independence Day in 1975. You can compare them with the other sides in our national teams section.

Mozambique were COSAFA Cup runners up in 2008 and 2015. They also took bronze in 1997, 2009 and 2024. They have also played at the African Nations Championship, the competition for players based in their home leagues, in 2014 and 2022, reaching the quarter finals in 2022. In my opinion, that steady regional record is what laid the ground for the 2025 breakthrough.

Who Is in the Mozambique Squad?

The Mozambique squad module groups Mambas call ups into goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards, alongside club affiliations and international caps. Selection updates identify the players named for Mozambique, while the caps column records how many international appearances each has made.

Read the club column alongside each player’s position and caps to see which domestic competitions are represented in the selected squad.

Mozambique Fixtures and Results: What Time Is Kick Off Where You Live?

Maputo runs on the same clock as Johannesburg, so a Mambas kick off in SAST is the local time at the Estádio do Zimpeto. For the rest of the region, Lagos (WAT) is one hour behind, Nairobi and Kampala (EAT) are one hour ahead, and Accra (GMT) is two hours behind. As an example, an evening kick off at 18:00 SAST is 17:00 WAT, 19:00 EAT and 16:00 GMT. The fixtures module above shows every upcoming match with all four times side by side, so there is no sum to do on the night.

The results module lists each finished match with the score, the date and the competition, with FT marking full time. Check the competition label before you judge a result, because a friendly, an AFCON qualifier, a World Cup qualifier and a COSAFA Cup match carry very different stakes. A draw away from home in qualifying, for instance, can be worth far more than a friendly win. So, read the label, then the venue, then the score, and the results will tell you how a campaign is really going.

Who Coaches the Mambas, and How Do They Play?

The current head coach is named in the team profile box above, which updates whenever the federation makes a change, so it is always the right name. On style, the tournament record gives a fair clue: Mozambique drew 2 to 2 with Egypt and with Ghana at the 2023 finals, came back from 2 down to draw 2 to 2 with Benin in 2010, and beat Gabon 3 to 2 in 2025. Those results provide historical examples of Mozambique scoring against Egypt, Ghana, Benin and Gabon. The line up graphic on match days shows the shape the coach has chosen, and that is the best place to see how the plan changes from one opponent to the next.

How Far Have Mozambique Gone at the Africa Cup of Nations?

Mozambique appeared at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1986, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2023 and 2025; they first reached the round of 16 in 2025. Their first finals came in Egypt in 1986, when they lost all three group matches (0 to 3, 0 to 2 and 0 to 2) without scoring. They returned in 1996 and 1998, then again in 2010, when they drew 2 to 2 with Benin after trailing 2 to 0 before losing to Egypt and Nigeria. Captain Tico-Tico retired from international football after that tournament, which closed a whole chapter for the side.

At the 2025 finals, Mozambique reached the knockout stage for the first time. They beat Gabon 3 to 2, lost narrowly to Ivory Coast (0 to 1) and Cameroon (1 to 2), and still went through, before Nigeria beat them 4 to 0 in the round of 16. For Mozambique, in my opinion, it was proof they belong in the second round, and the next step is turning narrow group defeats into draws.

Have Mozambique Ever Qualified for the World Cup?

Mozambique reached the third round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They first entered World Cup qualifying in 1982 and went out in the first round, losing 7 to 3 on aggregate to Zaire. In the 2010 cycle they reached the third round and finished third in a group won by Nigeria, with Tunisia second. That same campaign also doubled as qualifying for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, which is how they reached those finals.

The fixtures and results modules show opponents, venues and outcomes for each qualifying campaign.

Where Do the Mambas Play, and How Can You Watch Them?

The Mambas play their home matches at the Estádio do Zimpeto in Maputo, which holds about 42,000 people. It is the centre of supporters' life for the national team, and a big qualifier there brings the city out in the red of the shirt. For fans in South Africa, the road and rail links between Johannesburg and Maputo make a home match one of the easier away trips in African football, and the shared time zone means no jet lag at all.

Broadcast rights for Mozambique matches change from fixture to fixture and from country to country, so the where to watch details sit in the fixture module rather than in the text. Check that box for your own country on the day of the match, because a qualifier may be shown in Nigeria but not in Kenya, or the other way round. If you are planning a viewing centre night in Lagos or a gathering in Kampala, it is worth checking a day ahead, as listings are often confirmed late.

Who Holds the Mozambique Records?

The records module identifies Mozambique's leading international scorers and their goal totals. Tico-Tico captained the side at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and stepped away from international football after that tournament. The records module above lists the leading scorers and the most capped players, and it updates as current players climb the list. Read the caps and goals together, because a forward with a high goals per match figure in a short career can tell you more about the present squad than a total built over fifteen years.

Why Do the Mambas Matter in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Kenya?

South Africa is the closest link, and Bafana Bafana v Mozambique is a neighbours' match with real history behind it. The two sides meet in the COSAFA Cup and in qualifying, many Mozambicans have played in the PSL, and the Maputo to Johannesburg corridor shapes how fans travel and watch. In Nigeria, the Mambas mean two things: Nigeria finishing above them in 2010 World Cup qualifying, and the Super Eagles v Mambas round of 16 win by 4 to 0 at the 2025 finals.

Ghana fans will remember the 2 to 2 draw between the Black Stars and Mozambique at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, a group match that stayed tight to the end. In Uganda, the Cranes v Mambas pairing came up in the 2026 World Cup qualifying cycle, and the results module carries those matches with their scores. For Kenya, Mozambique's first AFCON knockout appearance in 2025 offers a tournament milestone for Harambee Stars supporters to compare with their own team's history.

Mozambique Football Team or Os Mambas: What Do You Call Them?

Both are right, and you will hear each depending on where you are reading or watching. Os Mambas is the Portuguese name used at home in Mozambique, while English language fans in Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Kampala and Johannesburg usually say the Mambas or simply the Mozambique national team. Searches for the Mozambique squad, the line up or the next call up all lead to the same side, so whichever name you use, the modules above will show you the current players, the fixtures and the results. If you are new to following them, start with the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations record, because that run explains why so many more people across the continent now look them up.