2025 AFCON Group F Match Preview: Gabon vs Mozambique

Gabon and Mozambique will be seeking to get their Africa Cup of Nations campaigns back on track when they meet in a Group F clash at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir.

The former suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their opening match, while the latter lost to defending champions Ivory Coast by the same scoreline.

Gabon arrived at the Africa Cup of Nations unbeaten within 90 minutes in six games (W4, D2), and that run gave them a measure of confidence ahead of their opening game.

However, the Panthers fell short, suffering a narrow 1–0 loss to Cameroon in their first outing in Morocco, failing to take advantage of any of their 12 shots in that encounter.

Thierry Mouyouma will be particularly frustrated by the inability of his team to find the back of the net, having scored in at least their last four fixtures leading up to that encounter.

Now up against Mozambique, who are winless in their last four outings - a run which includes three losses - the Panthers will be confident about their chances of earning a positive result.

The results of previous meetings between them are also another reason this fixture is heavily tilted in favour of the Gabonese, with three victories and a loss in four matches.

Indeed, the Mambas of Mozambique will enter this contest as underdogs, and their poor record of 16 games at the finals without a victory will be weighing heavily on them.

The Southern African nation made their debut almost forty years ago in Egypt, and they are yet to progress beyond the group stage of the competition.

As a result, the pressure will be on the crop of players in the current setup to make history by advancing to the next round in a difficult group, but first, they have to start with a positive result against the more experienced Gabonese team.

To hope for a better result in their next outing, Chiquinho Conde knows he has to fix the malaise plaguing his defence that has seen his team ship eight goals in four matches.

Gabon possible starting lineup:

Mbaba; Oyono, Ecuele Manga, Mouckettou-Mossounda, Ekomia; Openda, Poko, Ndong; Aubameyang, Bouanga, Lemina

Mozambique possible starting lineup:

Siluane; Diogo Calila, Mexer, Mandava, Langa; Kambala; Catamo, Amade, Guima, Ratifo; Witi

Send your news stories to [email protected] and via WhatsApp on +233 546310076.

Read Full Story