TotalEnergies CAF Futsal AFCON: “We have talent": Cossa urges investment after Mozambique's Futsal AFCON exit
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Mozambique capped off their TotalEnergies CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 campaign with a resounding 4-0 victory over newcomers Tanzania on Saturday night at the Salle Ibn Yassine.
The Mambas had already missed out on the semifinals after losing their opening two Group B matches to Angola and Egypt, who booked the two qualifying spots. They made sure of a strong finish against Tanzania, who were playing in the tournament for the first time.
Delcio Daniel put Mozambique ahead after six minute and doubled the lead with ten minutes on the clock. Jose Da Silva Magu made it 3-0 on 12 minutes and added his second two minutes after the restart to complete the scoring.
Mauro Cossa said the win was about pride after falling short of the team's goal. "This was the last game, and it was a matter of honor," he said. "We didn't reach the objective we set, but we won at least 3 points, and that counts for our ranking, so we can represent our country in the best way we can."
Cossa also reflected on his own performance. "I started a little low, but as the games went on, I grew into the tournament," he said. "In this game I contributed more to the team, and the result came."
Mozambique were drawn in a tough group, and Cossa said the experience showed how much work lies ahead. "Playing against some of the best teams shows we need to work more," he said.
"We need to invest more in futsal, in our work as a team and as a federation, so we can compete with the biggest teams in Africa. We saw that we have talent, but there's a lot of background work to do."
The victory also came on the birthday of Mozambique coach Nader Sale Narotam, and the players made sure to mark it.
"This morning I greeted him and said, 'Happy birthday, mister, but the present is coming after the game,'" Cossa said. "And there's the present. We congratulated him, it was a good game, and I believe he's happy. It's the least we could do for him."
