The Mozambican national team suffered another defeat, in a game that started at 1:30 AM in Mexico, this time against Montenegro, losing 74-52 in the second round of Group B of the FIBA World Championship Qualifying Tournament, which will take place in Germany in 2026. The game took place at the Juan de la Barrera pavilion in Mexico, and with this result, Mozambique's chances of securing a place in the World Championship have been exhausted. The last participation of the Mozambican team in a World Championship was in 2014, in Türkiye.
Mozambique started the game with two points scored by Ingvild Mucauro, but faced great difficulties on offense and defense, finishing the first quarter trailing 10-20. In the second quarter, the team managed to momentarily even the score, with standout performances from Odélia Mafanela and a three-pointer from Mucauro that brought hope. However, the team lost its way again and went into halftime trailing by 20 points (19-39).
The difficulty continued after halftime, with the team going six minutes without scoring, bringing the total to 10 minutes without baskets between the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third. As a result, Mozambique finished the game with a final score of 31-56.
Ingvild Mucauro was the most determined and outstanding player for the National Team, scoring 13 points, including three three-pointers. Despite her individual effort, the team couldn't avoid defeat. Now, Mozambique will play its final match against New Zealand, simply to fulfill the schedule.
