Kaizer Chiefs defender Edmilson Dove is expecting a “very tough” battle against Cape Verde when they square off in their second Africa Cup of Nations group stage clash on Friday.

The Mambas kickstarted their AFCON campaign with a draw they played out to a thrilling 2-2 draw against Egypt in Abidjan on Sunday.

Mozambique will be looking for their first win in the group when they face off against Cape Verde at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

Dove says their stalemate against Egypt has given them the confidence they need heading into their next AFCON encounter.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game,” Dove told his club’s official website.

“Obviously we were playing one of the best national teams in Africa, but our coach told us at halftime to keep believing in ourselves and the process we have been working on throughout the entire qualification campaign, and we came out for the second half with some confidence and a desire to put in more effort, and we turned things around.

“Obviously, we wanted to take all three points, but in the end, a draw is still a positive outcome and now our focus shifts to our two remaining games.

“We had a game plan and our coach gave us instructions on how to defend as a team. It was mostly about us; how we must operate as a unit in defence and attack.

“It is going to be very tough against Cape Verde. We have played them before and they are improving a lot, but our performance against Egypt has given us confidence to go into the game with a positive mindset.”