Mozambique coach Chiquino Conde has explained the secret behind the Mambas’ qualification to the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals for the first time since 2010.

Conde told SuperSport.com in an exclusive interview that the Mambas’ qualification to the Ivory Coast Afcon edition scheduled for next year was a reward for hard-work.

“The secret for us to qualify was to always believe in our work and in the ideas of our game model,” he told SuperSport.com.

“We adjusted the characteristics of our players. With hard work and associating it with positive results, we grew as a team.”

Mambas’ venom proved too much for Benin who succumbed to a 2-3 loss at Estadio do Zimpeto in Maputo on Saturday afternoon when the hosts booked a ticket to the Afcon finals as the second-best team on 10 points, four behind leaders Senegal.

INJURY-TIME WINNER TORCHES CELEBRATIONS

Clesio Bauque struck the winner deep in injury-time to torch celebrations among the home fans including Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi, who eventually joined the party on the pitch after the final whistle.

Conde’s men needed just a draw to book the qualification place and seemed to have done the ultimate business when Witi and Guimaraes scored in the first half.

However, Benin threatened to spoil the party after crawling their way back into the contest with goals of their own from Steve Mounie and Jodel Dossou, only for Bauque’s strike to settle the contest.

Mozambique, who boast an array of talent such as Kaizer Chiefs' defender Edmilson Dove, ageless winger Elias Pelembe and Atletico Madrid’s Reinildo Mandava, had previously qualified for the Afcon finals 13 years ago in Angola.