Football in Mozambique

Last updated

Football in Mozambique
CountryMozambique
Governing body Mozambican Football Federation
National team(s) men's national team
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions

The sport of football in the country of Mozambique is run by the Mozambican Football Federation. The association administers the national football team, as well as the national league. Football is the most popular sport in the country. [1]

Contents

History

Since the arrival of Vasco da Gama in 1498, the Portuguese increasingly strengthened their presence in the country until Mozambique's independence from Portugal in 1975, when the country became a Portuguese colony. To this day, therefore, football in Mozambique is characterized by its Portuguese origins and relationships, for example by partly former, partly still current affiliate associations of the Portuguese clubs Sporting CP and Benfica. Also, many Mozambican footballers play in Portugal. The most famous example might be Eusébio. [2] He began his footballing career in 1957 at Clube de Desportos do Maxaquene, which was founded on May 20, 1920 in the capital of Mozambique as Sporting CP's sixth branch club. [3] From 1960 Eusébio then played for Benfica, where he was eleven times Portuguese champion and 1962 European Champions Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) won. [4] He became European Footballer of the Year in 1965 and was the top scorer of the 1966 World Cup. [5]

Already since 1922 regular championships in Mozambique were played out, at first only as a district championship of Lourenço Marques (today Maputo), from 1956 as the national championship of the Portuguese overseas province of Mozambique.

In 1975, Mozambique became independent from Portugal, and in 1976 the National Football Association of the Republic of Mozambique, the Mozambican Football Federation was founded. Since then, FMF has been directing football leagues in the country and is responsible for the national football teams.

Domestic football

Since 1976, FMF has organized the country's top division, the Campeonato Moçambicano de Futebol, better known as Moçambola. Record champions are each with nine titles founded in 1924 Clube Ferroviário de Maputo and existing since 1955 CD Costa do Sol. In 2014, for the fourth time in five years, the league Muçulmana became national champion.

The moçambola's three last-placed clubs are relegated to the second division, the single-track Segunda Divisão with 21 clubs. Under this second league follow the eleven supreme leagues of the football associations of the eleven Mozambican provinces.

The national trophy of the FMF, the Taça de Moçambique, has been played since 1978. The first winner was CD Maxaquene, who won the cup nine times (as of December 2014). However, the CD Costa do Sol is also in the cup competition record champion, with 11 won trophies. In 2013 and 2014, the Clube Ferroviário da Beira won the trophy.

Mozambique clubs have often played in the CAF Champions League and the African Cup Winners' Cup. So far, however, none of the clubs could win a title there (as of January 2015)

National team

The Mozambican national football team has participated in FIFA tournaments since the 1980 FIFA World Cup finals. So far they have not qualified for a World Cup.

Mozambique has already participated in the Africa Cup of Nations four times, in 1986, 1996, 1998 and 2010. They were eliminated in all four tournaments in the preliminary round.

For the African Nations Championships Mozambique could qualify in 2014 for the first time, but retired there in the preliminary round.

At the Nations Cup of Southern Africa, the COSAFA Cup, Mozambique participated in each edition so far. The best placement reached his selection thereby with the second place in the year 2009 (conditions: 2014).

Mozambique also took part in every edition of the football tournaments in the framework of the Jogos da Lusofonia, the "Lusophony Games". In 2017, it will host the games itself.

In December 2014, Mozambique finished 98th in the FIFA World Ranking. The highest FIFA placement reached by the national team in November 1997 with the 66th place, the worst in July 2005 with the 134th place. Chiquinho Conde head coach of the Mozambique national team until 2026

Women's football

The women's Mozambique national football team took part in the first Africa Women Cup of Nations in 1998, but dropped out in the preliminary round. Since then, the selection of Mozambique has not survived a qualifying round and therefore could not participate in any other African Championship (as of 2014).

In December 2014, Mozambique finished 133rd in the FIFA Women's World Ranking.

Felice Lemos caused quite a stir in 2013. She was known as the first female coach of a male football team, when she took over the first team of the club Zixaxa in the capital Maputo. She reported a lot of encouragement from the players and the fans, but she also experienced misogynist discrimination on the part of her coaches colleagues. [6]

League system

Level

League(s)/Division(s)

1

Moçambola
16 clubs

↓↑ 3 clubs

2

Mozambican Provincial Leagues
11 leagues

Football stadiums in Mozambique

#StadiumCapacityCityTenantsImage
1 Estádio da Machava 45,000 Maputo Clube Ferroviário de Maputo
2 Estádio do Zimpeto 42,000 Maputo Mozambique national football team
3 Estádio do Maxaquene 15,000 Maputo Clube de Desportos do Maxaquene Estadio do Desportivo.jpg
4 Estádio do Costa do Sol 10,000 Maputo CD Costa do Sol
5 Estádio Municipal 1º de Maio 10,000 Lichinga Futebol Clube de Lichinga
6 Estádio Matateu 8,000 Maputo Grupo Desportivo de Maputo
7 Estádio Municipal de Pemba 5,000 Pemba Clube Ferroviário de Pemba

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clube Ferroviário de Maputo</span> Football club

Clube Ferroviário de Maputo, or simply Ferroviário, is a Mozambique multi sports club from Maputo especially known for its football operations but also for its basketball and roller hockey team.

Clube de Desportos do Maxaquene, usually known simply as Maxaquene, is a sports club based in Maputo, Mozambique. The club is nicknamed Maxaca. Currently, besides football (soccer) there are two indoor sports, namely, basketball and handball. In such sports Maxaquene is the club with the most national titles after independence. Maxaquene won its first post-independence title in football, the Taça de Moçambique, in 1978. Prior to Mozambique's independence from Portugal in 1975, CD Maxaquene were known as Sporting Clube de Lourenço Marques or simply Sporting de Lourenço Marques, and was the branch number 6 of Lisbon-based Sporting Clube de Portugal. Under this name, both the legendary Eusébio and Hilário, played for the club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CD Costa do Sol</span> Mozambican sports club

Clube de Desportos da Costa do Sol, commonly known as Costa do Sol, is a Mozambican sports club based in Maputo. It is best known for the professional football team playing in Moçambola, the top division in Mozambican football.

Moçambola is the top division of Mozambican football. It is organized by the Liga Moçambicana de Futebol.

Clube Ferroviário de Nampula is a Mozambican football club based in Nampula. They play in the top division in Mozambican football, Moçambola. Their home stadium is Estádio do Nampula. From 1993 to 2002, Filipe Nhussi, the current President of Mozambique, served as president of the club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clube Ferroviário da Beira (football)</span> Football club

Clube Ferroviário da Beira is a Mozambican football club based in Beira. They play in the top division in Mozambican football league Moçambola. Their home stadium is Estádio do Ferroviário. They were Moçambique Colonial Champions in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liga Desportiva de Maputo</span> Mozambican football club

Liga Desportiva de Maputo is a Mozambican association football club based in Maputo, Mozambique that plays in the country's top football division, Moçambola. One of the richest clubs in Mozambique, it was founded on 8 November 1990 and has won four league titles and one cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CD Estrela Vermelha</span> Football club in Mozambique

The Clube Desportivo Estrela Vermelha, the Red Star Sports Club, is a sports club from Maputo, the capital of the south-east African state Mozambique. It was founded during the Portuguese colonial era on 4 October 1934 as Clube Desportivo Malhangalene, deriving its name from the historic quarter of the city.

Carlos Bernardo "Carlitos" Chimomole is a Mozambican footballer who plays for Liga Muçulmana de Maputo and Mozambique. His position is midfielder.

Rogério de Sousa Gonçalves is a Portuguese football manager, currently in charge of Mozambican club Clube Ferroviário da Beira.

Clube Ferroviário de Nacala Velha is a Mozambican football club.

Hélder Pelembe is a Mozambican professional footballer who plays for Mozambican club UD Songo as a forward.

Jeremias Jorge "Jerry" Sitoe is a Mozambiquan footballer who plays as a forward for ENH de Vilankulos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liga Moçambicana de Basquetebol</span> Professional basketball league in Mozambique

The Liga Moçambicana de Basquetebol (LMB), known as the Liga Mozal for sponsorship reasons, is the highest basketball league in Mozambique. Founded in 1960, the league typically consists of eight teams. The winners of the competition earn the right to play in the qualifying tournaments of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Stélio Marcelino Ernesto, better known as Telinho is a Mozambican football winger who plays for Moçambola club UD Songo and the Mozambique national team.

João Pedro Mussica, commonly known as Jeitoso, is a Mozambican professional footballer who plays for Ferroviário de Maputo and the Mozambique national team. He primarily plays as a left-sided centre-back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferroviário de Maputo (basketball)</span> Basketball club in Maputo, Mozambique

Clube Ferroviário de Maputo is a basketball club based in Maputo, Mozambique. The team competes in the Mozambican League. In the Mozambican League, Maputo has won eleven national titles. Ferroviário played in the 2021 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clube Ferroviário da Beira (basketball)</span> Basketball team in Beira, Mozambique

Clube Ferroviário da Beira is a basketball club from Beira, Mozambique. The team plays in the national Mozambican Basketball League (LMB) and has won the national championship five times.

Associação Black Bulls is a Mozambican football club based in Maputo. Associação Black Bulls is the current champion of Moçambola.

João José Jone Bonde, sometimes known as Maza, is a Mozambican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ferroviário Beira and the Mozambique national team.

References

  1. ↑ "Soccer enthusiast helps kids in Mozambique enjoy the game". Canada.com. 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
  2. ↑ "Out of Africa: the story of Eusebio's roots in Mozambique". 18 January 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "Eusebio: The Black Pearl". 10 April 2002. Retrieved 16 December 2017– via news.bbc.co.uk.
  4. ↑ Hayward, Paul (5 June 2010). "From Africa to posterity: How Eusébio lit up the World Cup" . Retrieved 16 December 2017– via www.theguardian.com.
  5. ↑ "Eusebio obituary: Footballer acknowledged as one of the greatest ever". 5 January 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  6. ↑ "Futebol no feminino em Maputo - Moçambique - DW - 18.04.2013". DW.COM. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.