Chiefs star Dove on what inspired Mozambique’s near upset of Egypt at AFCON

Kaizer Chiefs star Edmilson Dove has revealed what inspired Mozambique’s brilliant performance against Egypt in their 2023 AFCON Group B opener on Sunday following a 2-2 draw.

Mozambique, dreaming of a giant-killing act in their first AFCON appearance in 13 years, produced a stellar performance against the most successful nation at Africa’s showpiece, Egypt, with seven titles.

However, Dove and his nation suffered a heartbreak in the last minutes of the match as they were about to register a famous win against Egypt. Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian maestro, stepped up and calmly scored from the penalty spot in added time, snatching a draw from the jaws of defeat.

Mostafa Mohamed put the Pharaohs ahead two minutes into the game, but quickfire second-half goals from Witi and Clesio gave Mozambique hope of recording a first-ever AFCON victory. But Liverpool FC star Salah had other ideas.

Amakhosi star, Dove was one of the top performers in The Mambas 2023 AFCON group stage opener, with a great display in defence the entire match.

Dove says their coach Chiquinho Conde told them to believe in themselves when they are playing on the pitch, this in-turn gave the team confidence going forward.

EDMILSON DOVE ON MOZAMBIQUE’S PERFORMANCE AGAINST EGYPT

“We knew it was not going to be an easy game. Obviously, we were playing one of the best national teams in Africa,” said Dove. “Our coach told us at half-time to keep believing in ourselves and the process we have been working on throughout the entire qualification campaign.

“We came out for the second-half with some confidence and a desire to put in more effort, and we turned things around. Obviously, we wanted to take all three points, but in the end, a draw is still a positive outcome and now our focus shifts to our two remaining games.”

It’s back to the drawing board for Dove and Co. as they prepare to face Cape Verde in their next assignment on Thursday, 18 January. Cape Verde are high on confidence after they stunned one of the competition’s favourites, Ghana, 2-1 on Sunday night.

Kickoff at Stade Felix Houphouet is at 4pm [SA time].

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