This is a big challenge – new Mozambique football mentor

New Mozambique coach up to the challenge

JOHANNESBURG, April 20 (ANA) – New Mozambique men’s football team coach Horácio Gonçalves on Monday vowed to lead his nation to success.

Gonçalves was appointed as the new coach on April 16, in a contract running until December 2023.

“I recognise that this is a big challenge, and I am prepared to do my best,” said Gonçalves.

Gonçalves, 58, was at the date of his hiring the coach of Costa do Sol, where he won league and cup in Mozambique.

“It is an ambitious project and I count on all the stakeholders to perform it together. I thank Costa do Sol who accepted that I take on a new project.”

Gonçalves succeeds another Portuguese coach, Luís Gonçalves, who has been out of action for the past two months.

Gonçalves will be assisted by Victor Matine, Adilson Sataca and goalkeepers coach Helder Cossa.

His mission as declared by Mozambican Football Federation (MFF) will be to qualify the Mambas for Afriacn Nations Championship Chan 2022 and Africa Cup of Nations 2023.

At the announcement last week, the MFF also appointed Faruk Ismail Gulamo, as the new national Futsal coach with the aim of qualifying the country for the Africa Futsal Cup of Nations and the Futsal World Cup, in addition to carrying out concrete actions across the country to develop the sport.

“We are going to draw up a work program with a view to achieve the objectives set, knowing that at this moment there is no competition. Five months from now we will have the Cosafa tournament here and we will do our best to achieve the desired results,” Gulamo said.

Head of Mozambican football, Feizal Sidat thanked Costa do Sol for letting their coach go, adding that there were many names on the table, with Horácio Gonçalves being the most popular because he brings together the profile intended to lead the Mambas. – African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Michael Sherman