The Mozambican Football League (LMF) has announced that it now has the financial guarantees required to cover air travel costs for all clubs participating in the 2025 Moçambola championship, following a two-week suspension of the competition.
“We are making this announcement because we now have assurances that the League will be able to pay for air tickets with LAM [Mozambique Airlines],” said LMF President Alberto Simango at a press conference in Maputo.
He added that the payments may even be made directly by partner companies or institutions, rather than the 14 participating clubs themselves.
According to Simango, the critical situation caused by the high cost of air travel was resolved after “lengthy negotiations with several partners,” including the Mozambican Government—namely the Ministries of Transport and Sports—as well as private sponsors.
Clubs had reportedly accumulated debts of over 100 million meticais (approximately 1.5million dollars) to LAM, leading the airline to suspend ticket sales. This, in turn, prompted the LMF to cancel all fixtures for the sixth round of Moçambola more than two weeks ago. The competition will now resume progressively, starting this Saturday.
Simango confirmed that the championship will continue under the usual format and will run through to completion, with the schedule adjusted to account for the recent pause: “From now on, Moçambola will continue until the end.”
All matches in the sixth round, with the exception of one that did not require air travel, were postponed on 10 July, with no rescheduled dates initially announced.
Earlier today, the President of the Mozambican Football Federation (FMF), Feizal Sidat, expressed his disappointment with the troubled start of the 2025 season, which was initially set for March but only kicked off in May due to logistical issues.
“We were caught off guard by the suspension of Moçambola (…). It’s concerning and tarnishes the reputation of the competition,” said Sidat, calling on the LMF to find lasting solutions. “We can’t treat football as a joke. The competition must start and it must finish.”
The 2025 season of Moçambola, originally scheduled to begin on 26 March, was already postponed to 17 May. According to previous statements by the LMF, the delay was due to both logistical problems with domestic air transport and broader economic challenges, including the fallout from a turbulent electoral process and months of social unrest across the country.
The President of the Mozambican Football Federation (FMF), Feizal Sidat, has issued a stern warning to the Mozambican Football League (LMF), urging it to improve the organisation of the Moçambola championship to avoid further disruptions.
Speaking at a press conference as part of FMF’s mid-year review, Sidat stressed that the LMF must go beyond short-term fixes and begin preparing for next year’s Moçambola with secured financial guarantees.
“The Mozambican Football League can no longer treat football as a game. This institution needs to be serious and stop relying on improvisation,” he stated.
Sidat lamented the frequent interruptions of the Moçambola season, which, he said, damage the country’s image in the global football community and undermine trust from sponsors. He revealed that the FMF will soon meet with LMF leadership, headed by Alberto Simango Jr, to seek lasting solutions to the ongoing challenges facing the competition. Sidat also criticised the current competition model, saying that the FMF has submitted several proposals to improve it. However, the LMF remains inflexible.
“The LMF insists on sticking with Plan A and refuses to consider alternatives. We believe the current situation must change,” Sidat noted.
