From Our Correspondent in Agadir
THE Mambas of Mozambique chose the perfect stage to make history on Sunday afternoon, securing their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations victory in a pulsating 3-2 win over Gabon.
The Stade Adrar, a 45,000-capacity architectural marvel nestled between the Atlantic coast and the Atlas Mountains, provided the backdrop for one of the tournament’s most frantic encounters.
Known for its rugged, fortress-like exterior, the venue felt like a pressure cooker as the “Mambas” finally shed a 39-year hoodoo in their 17th attempt at the finals.
The Moroccan coastal city of Agadir was bathed in 16°C winter sunshine as Mozambique’s Faisal Bangal silenced the Gabonese contingent in the 37th minute. Rising highest from a corner, he sent a thumping header past Loyce Mbaba to give the underdogs a deserved lead.
Gabon, led by Marseille veteran Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, looked stunned.
Their misery deepened five minutes later when captain Bruno Ecuele Manga’s shirt-pulling antics gifted Mozambique a penalty. Geny Catamo stepped up, cooler than the Agadir breeze, to double the lead.
Aubameyang grabbed a lifeline for the Panthers in first-half stoppage time, but the momentum shifted back to the Mozambicans after the break.
On 53 minutes, Diogo Calila produced the moment of the match, ghosting in at the back post to meet a Witi cross and head home, sparking wild celebrations in the stands.
Moucketou-Moussounda set up a grandstand finish with a late strike, but the Mozambique defense held firm under the Agadir lights.
While the Panthers now face a mountain to climb to stay in the competition, Mozambique’s historic triumph transforms Group F into a wide-open dogfight.
For the Mambas, the Stade Adrar will forever be the place where nearly four decades of AFCON hurt finally came to an end
