Angola and Zimbabwe picked up their first point of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after playing out a 1–1 draw in Group B on Wednesday in Marrakech.
Angola struck first through Gelson Dala, whose sharp finish gave his side the lead midway through the first half. The forward, who scored four goals at the 2023 finals, fired home from close range after latching onto a delicate chipped pass from To Carneiro at the end of a well-worked move.
Zimbabwe responded just before the break, with returning captain Knowledge Musona showing his class. Musona expertly controlled a driven pass from Bill Antonio before finishing calmly during first-half stoppage time to draw the Warriors level.
The second half was tightly contested, with both goalkeepers playing key roles. Zimbabwe’s Washington Arubi made an important close-range save shortly after the restart, denying Jonathan Buatu after a knockdown from David Carmo.
At the other end, Angola goalkeeper Hugo Marques reacted sharply to push Tawanda Chirewa’s effort behind late on. From the resulting corner, Carmo again proved decisive, blocking Prince Dube’s close-range attempt to prevent a late winner.
Arubi was called into action again in the closing stages, first saving a curling strike from Milson before punching away a dangerous free-kick from Fredy.
Both sides now turn their attention to the final round of group matches on Monday at 16:00 GMT. Zimbabwe face South Africa in Marrakech, while Angola meet Egypt in Agadir.
The draw means either Egypt or South Africa will secure qualification for the knockout stages if they win their Group B encounter on Friday in Agadir, with both teams sitting on three points after their opening matches.
For Zimbabwe and Angola, everything remains to play for as the group reaches its decisive phase.
