Chiquinho Conde, the head coach of the Mozambique national team, addressed the press about his team’s preparations for the upcoming match against Egypt on Sunday, marking the commencement of their journey in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Both Egypt and Mozambique find themselves in Group B, alongside Ghana and Cape Verde.
During Saturday’s press conference, Chiquinho Conde stated, “Throughout this week, many things have happened to us.
We wished the match conditions were better, but overall, we are preparing for the encounter despite the absence of four players in different positions due to injuries.”
He continued, “The words spoken by Rui Vitoria, the head coach of the Egyptian national team, deserve praise.
He is a wonderful Portuguese coach, and I know him from his history and work with Benfica, where he achieved successes.
He has a great career based on the high humility he possesses and his significant capabilities.
Still, we will not rely on these words to define us.”
“Mentally, Egypt is a stronger team theoretically, but we know that there are other teams with a lot of potential deserving respect.
We possess high capabilities despite the absence of some players from Europe playing for the national team.
The match will not be easy, but we must be in a state of concentration and care about this moment.
Later on, other players will join our team, and they will naturally integrate with the squad,” he added.
Regarding the player Gini, he expressed regret, stating, “It’s unfortunate that he won’t be available for participation tomorrow.
It saddens me a lot, but I suggest that CAF reconsider the rules because it’s not fair that a player is absent from an important match due to two yellow cards.
However, in any case, we will seek to find his replacement, and I believe we will do our best in his absence.”
Conde emphasized, “We always have the impression that this tournament will be good. We will participate naturally.
We have great experience in Mozambique to face these competitions, similar to the previous tournament.
In African football, I have experiences, having participated in three tournaments as a player.
I have experiences that I give to the players, and I do my best to motivate them to become part of Mozambican football history.”
He concluded, “We don’t have a Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah in our team, but we have other players.
Our strength lies in the group that functions as a cohesive team inside the field. We strive to do everything that leads us in the right direction.
We have a clear plan, and then we will see. We have good players who can seize this opportunity to have a milestone in their professional careers.
I hope we overcome the problems we are facing.”
