Maputo, July 11, 2025 (Lusa) - Mozambican flag carrier LAM said on Friday that the Moçambola teams involved in the competition failed to pay their air tickets, so LAM could not operate flights for the next round of the Mozambican football championship, which organisers have since cancelled.
‘The company clarifies that the teams’ participation in the competition is contingent on completing ticket payments,’ reads the statement from Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM), sent to Lusa on Friday.
The Mozambican Football League (LMF) announced on Thursday that it has postponed the sixth round of the Mozambican football championship because “constraints” in the air transport of teams require additional time. The LMF asked LAM for solutions.
“To address issues related to air transport that have created challenges and constraints for the LMF at this stage, and to ensure the clubs’ air travel for the matches, the LMF announces the postponement of the sixth round of matches,” reads a statement from the league.
In response, LAM said it had informed the LMF that, “in the current context of the company,” those involved in the championship delegations must pay for tickets before the flights take place, given that the company also has a liability relating to the first rounds of the current year and previous years.
“Due to this fact, we have yet to renew the contract that, in previous years, served as the basis for issuing tickets. However, LAM expresses its willingness to continue negotiations to find solutions to enable the national football championship teams - Moçambola 2025 - to travel,” it concludes.
According to previous information from the LMF, the match between Baia de Pemba and Ferroviário de Nampula will take place at the weekend, as both teams can travel overland.
The state-owned airline LAM is undergoing restructuring and looking for new aircraft, while addressing logistical matters concerning the limited number of aircraft in operation.
The LMF announced at the time that the start of the 2025 Mozambique championship, initially scheduled for 26 March 2025, will take place on 17 May 2025 to resolve logistical and economic matters.
The main reasons for this postponement, compared to the initial schedule, were logistical issues related to air transport challenges in the country, but also economic issues due to the “context” in which Mozambique finds itself after a dynamic electoral process and vigorous social demonstrations in the streets over the last five months.
PVJ/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
