Zimbabwe and Angola played out a 1–1 draw in their second Group B match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations at the Stade de Marrakech on Friday, December 26.
The encounter kicked off at 12:30 pm and marked the start of the tournament’s second round of group fixtures.
Veteran forward Knowledge Musona scored deep into first-half stoppage time as Zimbabwe came from behind to earn a point against Angola.
Angola took the lead midway in the first half through Gelson Dala, before Musona restored parity just before the break.
The result suited neither side, leaving both teams two points behind joint Group B leaders Egypt and South Africa, who meet later in the day.
Zimbabwe had an early opportunity to go ahead when Bill Antonio blazed wide from close range in front of a sparse crowd.
Angola responded well, regaining control of the contest before opening the scoring after 24 minutes.
A perfectly weighted lobbed pass from Tó Carneiro dropped into the path of Gelson Dala, who squeezed his finish between the near post and the legs of 40-year-old goalkeeper Washington Arubi.
Zimbabwe’s persistence was rewarded six minutes into added time when they drew level.
Angola were dispossessed in midfield, allowing Zimbabwe to counter swiftly, and a perfectly timed pass found Musona inside the box.
The forward calmly rolled a low effort between the legs of Carneiro and past the outstretched right leg of Marques.
Both sides searched for a winning goal in the second half. Angola were denied late on when Marques produced an acrobatic one-handed save to keep out a close-range effort from substitute Tawanda Chirewa with 12 minutes remaining.
Only the top two teams in each group are guaranteed progression to the knockout stage, with the four best third-placed teams across the six groups also advancing.
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Story by Xavier Mensah | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
