42y0 Pelembe leads Mozambique to first AFCON win
by KickOff Reporter · KickOffMozambique picked up their first win at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-2 victory over Gabon in Group F on Sunday afternoon.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mario Lemina, Guelor Kanga and Andre Poko were welcomed back by Gabon, while Elias Pelembe shifted back in for the Mambas in place of Manuel Kambala.
Kanga nearly opened up the Mambas two minutes in through a powerful shot outside the area, but Hernani Siluane parried.
Forward Faisal Bangal made amends for Mozambique after 37 minutes as he rose on the end of a corner-kick to nod home.
The experienced Pelembe aided the second goal five minutes later as he drew a foul in the area to win a penalty, which Geny Catamo dispatched smartly.
Mozambique weren’t done and were inches to a third when a curling shot wide of the area by Witi struck the upright, before Aubameyang halved the deficit a minute to halftime when he latched on a spill from Siluane and bundled in.
Panthers coach Thierry Mouyouma showed intent in the second half and brought on Alex Moucketou-Moussounda, Royce Openda and Mick Onifa.
It didn’t faze the Mambas , who added another goal seven minutes into the second period when Diogo Calila nodded in the top corner after attacking a delivery from Witi.
Gabon began to up the ante in the 75th minute as successive efforts by Aubameyang and Openda forced Siluane to concede a corner.
Then from the corner, the Panthers grabbed a second goal when Moussounda powered in from close-range following a loose ball.
Mozambique went looking for a fourth goal in the dying minutes, but were denied by the offside flag as they held on and secured their first-ever win at an AFCON finals.