At 40, Elias Pelembe relishes another AFCON 14 years later

Speaking to SABC Sport from their base in Johannesburg where they are preparing for the 2023 AFCON tournament, their first since 2010, the former SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Royal AM attacker is happy to be returning to the AFCON.

At the age of 40, Pelembe says the plan came together this time around.

READ: Hugo Broos impressed with Periodization programme as AFCON camp gets underway

"I think it's very special because I remember I went in 2010 and then for a very long time we have been trying to get there and that didn't happen but this time everything came the way we planned. So, all I can say is it's God's mercy, God this time heard our crying," said Pelembe.

Pelembe was only 26 when they last went to the AFCON in 2010 in Angola and he looks back at their performance in that tournament as they were in a tough group with defending champions Egypt, Nigeria, and Benin.

"I'm so happy and I hope I give my best to the national team and try to go far. Everything is possible so we believe in God, and we've been working hard also. So, let's just take it game by game. I think in 2010 until the last game we still had a chance to qualify and I still remember in one of the three games, I was man of the match,” Pelembe added.

It was after the 2010 tournament that the great Manuel “Tico-Tico” Bucuane retired from international football. 

Pelembe is now back at home playing for a top Mozambican club, US Songo.

Ghana and Cape Verde are the two other teams in Group B with Mozambique.

Kaizer Chiefs’ only player going to this 34th edition of the AFCON tournament, Edmilson Dove, is also one of the key players in this Mozambican squad.

He says the advantage of this team is that they have been together for some time and also talks about the training match against Lesotho this afternoon.

"Definitely, I mean this is not a group with a lot of new players probably one that came in now but all of us we've been together for quite a while. We also know what the coach needs from us. So, it's kind of easy to come in and even the new player that just came now is fitting well. So, I think we're doing well. We might be playing a friendly tomorrow against Losotho just to see where we at as a group but so far, it's been good," Dove said.