2019-03-01 World Soccer

Former Portugal defender is on brink of success with Mozambique

Abel Xavier

A

bel Xavier’s

eccentricities

were famous

in his playing

days, and while

his dyed-blond

hair is still neatly

tied into a man bun at the back of his

head, he is now resplendent in a black

dinner jacket on the side of the pitch.

Despite the tropical heat, he wears this

as he prowls up and down the touchline

in his role as coach of Mozambique.

Although a Portugal international,

notorious for giving away a penalty in the

semi-final of Euro 2000 and earning a

red card in the process, he was born in

Mozambique – in Nampula, like Carlos

Queiroz, who recently quit as Iran coach

to take charge of Colombia – and he has

come home to take the team to the brink

of a first African Nations Cup appearance

since 2010.

His team must go to Guinea-Bissau,

another former Portuguese colony, and

win their last Group K game at the end of

March to qualify for the finals in Egypt in

June – a tough task, but one that their

coach is convinced can be achieved.

“I’ve believed from the start of these

qualifiers that we have the strength in

our squad to go on and qualify,” says the

46-year-old who played for both Everton

and Liverpool during his career.

Mozambique started the qualifying

campaign with a shock win away to the

2012 African champions, Zambia, and

despite letting that advantage slip they

have remained in contention. “I

initially selected 75 players for the

senior national team, of which 40 per

cent are between the ages of 19 and 23,”

continues Xavier. “I saw them all, I

selected them without influence. The

future is about youth development.

“We have tried to change the

mentality in Mozambique and persuade

officials that it is not like it was before. It’s

a country with a lot of problems but we

certainly can compete. We have big

names from the past as a reference and

I’m convinced there are more here right

now. We just need to discover them.”

Pointing a finger at the administration,

he adds: “I have changed a lot of things

from the way they were before, because

if Mozambique in the past didn’t achieve

there was a reason for that.”

Now he has ensured a better air

of professionalism around the team’s

logistics and says the players have

responded positively, stating: “We are

working in a different context and the

players are very professional, very

responsible. There is always the balance

of the mix between players who play

abroard and the local ones, and as coach

you have to ensure there is the right

approach from everybody.”

Xavier comes to the end of his

contract after the qualifiers, but if

Mozambique get a place in the 24-

team finals he will surely carry on with

his project to bring back old glory to a

country with a rich footballing history.

Mark Gleeson

Headliners

Resplendent...the

coach of Mozambique

“Mozambique is a country with

a lot of problems but we certainly

can compete”

Abel Xavier