For Mozambique, the final whistle against Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 did more than end a tournament run. It marked the close of a chapter written over two decades by players who carried the weight of a nation’s hopes on their shoulders. At the centre of those farewells stood Elias Gaspar Pelembe – Dominguez – a name inseparable from the story of the Mambas.
After 22 years in the national team, Dominguez finally said goodbye. There was no grand speech, no dramatic announcement. At 42 years of age, the captain chose restraint, speaking softly about his future while expressing confidence that a new generation of Mambas can take Mozambican football forward. That quiet dignity felt fitting for a player whose career was built more on loyalty and resilience than on headlines.
Dominguez’s journey mirrors the evolution of Mozambican football itself. He wore the national shirt in years of scarcity, when victories were rare, and belief was fragile, and remained when younger teammates arrived to dream again. For many supporters, he was not just a captain, but a constant proof that commitment to the badge could survive defeats, transitions and time itself.
His departure did not come alone. Reinildo Mandava, now with Sunderland FC, also announced his retirement from international football. He spoke after the painful 4–0 defeat to Nigeria, the match that ended Mozambique’s AFCON 2025 campaign. Reinildo leaves as a symbol of the modern Mamba: forged locally, tested abroad, and respected for his consistency and professionalism.
Soon after, Mexer Sitóe, one of the team’s vice-captains and a long-serving central defender, confirmed his own farewell. The AFCON 2025 tournament in Morocco became his final act in national colours. Together, Dominguez, Reinildo and Mexer represent a spine that held the team upright through years of rebuilding.
Their goodbyes came on a night that laid bare the limits of the current Mozambican project. Nigeria’s dominance was overwhelming and instructive. The Super Eagles fired 22 shots in 90 minutes, while Mozambique managed just two, none on target. It was not simply a loss; it was a lesson. As analyst Rui Lamarques observed, this was “a defeat that explains”. The Mambas defended deep, hoping to resist, but once the first goal arrived, waiting ceased to be a strategy and became resignation.
Coach Chiquinho Conde, architect of Mozambique’s historic qualification for the last 16, struggled to alter the course of the match. There was no plan B, no territorial shift, no tactical disruption to Nigeria’s rhythm. Organisation and commitment remained, but at this level, they were not enough, he said.
Even so, history should not be rewritten by one heavy defeat. For the first time, Mozambique reached the round of 16 at AFCON, an achievement recognised at the highest level. President Daniel Chapo praised the Mambas for their “best-ever participation” at the tournament, urging greater investment in youth development, intensity and competitiveness, while encouraging players to retain confidence and humility.
That message resonates deeply in the context of these farewells. Dominguez and his generation did not leave behind a miracle, but something more valuable: perspective. They showed that progress is possible without waiting for saviours, that football grows through method, continuity and patience.
As Dominguez steps away, Mozambican football stands between memory and possibility. The captain’s armband will change hands, the faces will be younger, the expectations heavier. What remains is the responsibility to honour those quiet goodbyes, not with nostalgia alone, but by building the future they believed was possible.
