By Mark Gleeson
Veteran striker Tico-Tico will lead Mozambique’s attack this weekend when they meet Madagascar in the first round of the Cosafa Castle Cup.
New Mozambican coach Ayman Mohamed, who is from Egypt, has not called up any of the country’s overseas-based stars, including Dario Monteiro, Paito and the injured Armando of Benfica.
Instead he has had to look across the border to South Africa for experience to boost the Mambas for the match at the Machava stadium in Maputo on Sunday.
Tico-Tico, who has now been in the Mozambique side for 13 successive years, is the country’s all-time leading goal scorer with 21 goals and along with Chiquinho Conde arguably the most influential footballer for the country since independence in 1976.
Tico-Tico, 30, is likely to be partnered up front by his Jomo Cosmos teammate To.
Three other players from South African clubs are also called up - Tomas, the defender from Orlando Pirates, Nando from Black Leopards and Mane-Mane from Dynamos.
Nando scored for Mozambique on Sunday when they beat Swaziland 2-0 in a warm-up international at Namaacha.
Mozambique are seeking to join Botswana and Mauritius, who have already won their first round matches, in the quarter-finals in June.
Angola meet Namibia in Luanda on May 9 in the last of the first round matches. Defending champions Zimbabwe, Malawi, Swaziland and Zambia have byes into the quarter-finals of the annual southern African championship..
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Kapango (Ferroviario Maputo), Leonel (Costa do Sol)
Defenders: Dario Khan (Ferroviario Maputo), Jotamo (Costa do Sol), Mane-Mane (Dynamos, South Africa), Mano (Desportivo Maputo), Miro (Maxaquene), Nando (Black Leopards, South Africa), Quito (Ferroviario Maputo), Tomas (Orlando Pirates, South Africa), Vicente (Ferroviario Maputo)
Midfielders: Fala-Fala (Desportivo Maputo), Gabito (Khartoum, Sudan), Ginho, Nelinho (both Ferroviario Maputo)
Strikers: Amilcar (Costa do Sol), Tico-Tico, To (both Jomo Cosmos, South Africa)