Mozambique and Gabon will get Africa’s second round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup underway when they meet for the first leg of their tie at Estadio do Zimpeto in Maputo on Wednesday evening, kick-off at 19h30 CAT.
Both sides were given direct passage to this stage of the qualifying tournament and will therefore being taking their first steps on the ‘Road to Russia’.
Mozambique will have new coach Boris Pucic in charge, with the Croatian hoping to make a good first impression with the Mambas on home soil.
The Southern Africans have never qualified for the World Cup and fell out at the second round in the preliminaries for the 2014 tournament, finishing third in a group which included Egypt, Guinea and neighbours Zimbabwe.
Gabon will look to Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for inspiration, with the 26-year-old set to lead the line in Maputo for Jorge Costa’s side.
The Panthers have also never qualified for the World Cup and fell out at the second round in the 2014 preliminaries, finishing third in a group which included Burkina Faso, Congo and Niger.
Mozambique and Gabon have met in four previous matches (three wins for the West Africans, along with one draw), two of which were World Cup qualifiers for the 1994 edition: Gabon won 3-1 at home in Libreville in 1992 before the teams played out a 1-1 draw in the return in Maputo in 1993.
The teams will meet in the return match on Saturday, 14 November, in Libreville.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário