Mozambican international defender Reinildo Mandava has announced his retirement from the national team, citing a serious injury that has continued to affect him over time.
In an emotional message released on Facebook on Tuesday, the 31-year-old left-back said the decision was not related to age, but rather to the need to listen to his body after suffering a major injury during his career.
“I write these words with a heart full of gratitude, emotion and respect,” Reinildo said. “It has been many years of total dedication to our national team — a journey that began when I was still a boy, full of dreams and the desire to honour our country.”
Reinildo, who will turn 32 in the coming days, acknowledged that many may still consider him young, but stressed that the physical toll of his injury has made it increasingly difficult to continue at international level.
“I feel that the time has come to close this beautiful and meaningful chapter of my life,” he said, adding that representing Mozambique had shaped him not only as a footballer, but also as a man and as a role model for his children.
Throughout his career with the Mambas, Reinildo said he always carried the Mozambican flag with pride, living every call-up with passion and a strong sense of duty. His journey was marked by both joy and personal hardship, including the loss of his mother while he was playing abroad, alongside major milestones such as marriage and becoming a father to two children and a newborn baby.
Reinildo’s club career spans several stages, starting in Mozambique with Ferroviário da Beira and the Maputo Sports League, before moving to Europe. He played for Benfica B, AD Fafe, SC Covilhã and Belenenses SAD in Portugal before joining LOSC Lille in France, where he enjoyed the most successful period of his career. At Lille, he won the Ligue 1 title, was named the best left-back in France, and lifted the Trophée des Champions.
He later joined Atlético de Madrid, one of Europe’s biggest clubs, where he experienced both intense moments and the serious injury he suffered in a match against Real Madrid — an injury he described as life-changing.
“That injury changed the way I see football and life,” he explained. “I learned that the body has limits and that time teaches us to choose wisely.”
Currently playing in the English Premier League with Sunderland AFC, a long-held personal dream, Reinildo said the demands of long intercontinental travel, tight schedules, time zone changes and physical and emotional fatigue had made combining club and international duties increasingly difficult.
Out of “love and respect” for the national team, he said, he felt it was the right moment to step aside and allow younger players to take their place.
Reinildo revealed that he had hoped to bid farewell after the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025), currently being held in Morocco, wearing the national shirt one last time and singing the national anthem with pride.
“I wanted to leave the pitch with a light soul, knowing that I gave everything I had for my country — and I believe I did,” he said.
During his international career, Reinildo was awarded the Medal of Sporting Merit, one of the highest honours for an athlete in Mozambique, which he said he received with humility and emotion.
More than medals and trophies, however, he said he would cherish the memories: the national anthem before matches, the smiles of supporters, the embraces in the dressing room, and the tears of both victory and defeat.
He ended his message by thanking coaches, teammates, officials, supporters and his family, whom he described as his “safe harbour”.
“I leave with a full heart and my head held high,” Reinildo concluded. “I will always support the national team, now from the outside — as a passionate fan and as a father who wants his children to grow up seeing Mozambique dream and win.”
