Clésio Bauque, one of the most prominent figures in Mozambican football, celebrates another birthday today, October 11th, on a date also marked by the Mambas' crucial clash against Eswatini in the third round of the qualifying group stage for the African Nations Championship (CAN). The striker turns 30 and, along with his teammates, faces a crucial challenge for the Mozambican national team's future in the competition.
Born in Maputo in 1994, Clésio Palmirim David Bauque built a solid international career, beginning with Ferroviário de Maputo. In September 2012, he took a major step forward by signing with Benfica, one of Portugal's biggest clubs, where he joined Benfica B, scoring one goal in 10 appearances. His time with the Reds was capped by a loan spell with the Harrisburg City Islanders in the USL Pro in the United States, where he played 20 matches and scored five goals.
In 2015, coach Rui Vitória promoted Clésio to Benfica's first team, where he made his debut against Tondela as a right-back, covering for the injured Nélson Semedo. Despite the opportunity, Clésio ended up leaving in the winter transfer window, moving to Panetolikos in Greece, where he remains today, with a three-and-a-half-year contract, wearing the number 10 jersey.
Clésio made his national team debut in 2011 against Comoros, scoring a goal in his first match for the Mambas. Since then, he has made 15 appearances for the Mozambican team, scoring two goals, including a crucial strike in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania.
Today, as he celebrates his birthday, Clésio will be focused on helping Mozambique secure a crucial victory on the road to the AFCON. Besides Clésio, another key player for the Mambas is David Malembana, who will also be on the pitch this afternoon.
