Both Gabon and Mozambique will be looking for their first win in the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations as they face off in a crucial Group F encounter at the Grand Stade d’Agadir on December 28. The match is set to kick off at 13h30 local time (12h30 GMT).
This upcoming clash marks the first time these two teams will meet in the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. In their prior seven encounters across various competitions, Gabon has the advantage with four victories, while Mozambique has secured two wins, alongside one draw.
Their last meetings occurred during the qualification rounds for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where Gabon emerged victorious in both fixtures with a 1-0 scoreline. Unfortunately, neither team managed to qualify for the finals held in Russia. Historically, these teams also contested during the qualifying rounds for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, with Gabon winning the home match 3-1 and a subsequent 1-1 draw in Mozambique.
In those past encounters, all matches resulted in goals, highlighting a trend of competitiveness between the two sides.
Review of Past Meetings:
– Gabon: 7 Matches – 4 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Losses (Goals For: 8, Goals Against: 4)
– Mozambique: 7 Matches – 2 Wins, 1 Draw, 4 Losses (Goals For: 4, Goals Against: 8)
Gabon enters this match following a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon, which ended their unbeaten streak of seven AFCON matches (1 win, 6 draws). This defeat also concluded a six-match unbeaten run in group matches, a disappointing record that includes a loss in 2015 against Equatorial Guinea. Gabon now finds itself winless in their last four AFCON matches and has only managed to secure one victory in their last ten outings in the tournament.
Historically, Gabon’s performance in second group matches at AFCON shows a record of 8 matches with 2 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses. They have lost their opening match three times previously—1994, 1996, and 2000—and following this trend, they lost their subsequent matches in ’94 and ’00 but recorded a victory in ’96. Notably, they last secured a win in their second group match in 2012, following two consecutive victories.
Key players for Gabon include Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who marked his 15th AFCON appearance against Cameroon. Despite his efforts, he has faced a winless streak in his last six AFCON matches. Didier Ndong and Bruno Ecuele Manga each demonstrated impressive performances with high numbers of completed passes in the previous game.
On the other side, Mozambique also aims to bounce back after losing 1-0 to Côte d’Ivoire. They are facing a challenging scenario with 16 consecutive AFCON matches without a win—a record in the tournament’s history. Mozambique has never succeeded in avoiding defeat in their second group match, losing all five previous attempts. Furthermore, they began their AFCON campaigns with initial losses in 1986 and 1998, both times concluding those tournaments with no victories.
Despite their struggles, Mozambique showed improvements against Côte d’Ivoire, completing 404 passes, a significant increase compared to previous tournaments. Players like Reinaldo Mandava excelled with his passing, while goalkeeper Ernan Siluane made multiple saves.
As both teams seek redemption and their first points of this tournament, the matchup promises to be a pivotal moment in Group F, with hopes high for a spirited contest that could be a turning point for either nation.