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Zimbabwe vs Angola: Zimbabwe fought back to secure a 1-1 draw against Angola on Friday in Marrakesh as the Africa Cup of Nations group stage moved into its second round.
Angola opened the scoring in the first half after applying early pressure.
Gelson Dala found the net midway through the opening period to give his team the advantage. Zimbabwe refused to trail at the interval.
Experienced attacker Knowledge Musona delivered the response in added time before halftime.
His goal brought Zimbabwe level heading into the break.
The contest ended with both sides collecting a point as group play continued.
The result left both teams with limited progress in Group B.
Each side remained two points behind co-leaders Egypt and South Africa, despite having played an extra game.
Automatic qualification is reserved for the top two finishers in every group.
Tournament rules also permit the four strongest third-place teams from the six groups to move on to the knockout round.
Zimbabwe squandered a clear opening chance early in the match.
Bill Antonio sent his effort wide from close range in front of a sparse crowd in the host city. Angola quickly regrouped and began to dictate play.
Their pressure paid off in the 24th minute when Gelson Dala put them ahead.
The Qatar-based striker latched onto a precise lofted ball from To Carneiro.
Dala guided his finish inside the near post, beating 40-year-old goalkeeper Washington Arubi from close range.
Knowledge Musona returned to the starting lineup as one of four changes after Zimbabwe’s 2-1 loss to Egypt in Agadir earlier in the week.
The experienced attacker became more involved as the Warriors made a push to get back into the match.
He first saw a free kick stopped by the wall. Moments later, he sent another effort wide of the target.
Those missed chances prompted a clear reaction from head coach Marian Marinica. The Romanian was visibly frustrated on the sideline as the equalizer remained elusive.
Angola’s veteran goalkeeper, Hugo Marques, received lengthy treatment after a forceful clash with an opponent.
The 39-year-old returned to action with his head heavily bandaged.
Zimbabwe’s pressure eventually produced a breakthrough before halftime.
Knowledge Musona scored six minutes into first-half stoppage time to bring his team level. The move began with Angola losing possession in midfield.
Zimbabwe surged forward on the counterattack, and a well-timed pass picked out Musona inside the area.
Knowledge Musona found the back of the net with a composed finish.
His shot threaded between To Carneiro’s legs and narrowly eluded the outstretched reach of Hugo Marques.
As the match drew to a close, both teams pressed for a winning goal. Angola’s goalkeeper Marques made a crucial intervention in the 78th minute.
He pulled off an acrobatic one-handed save to stop a threatening strike from substitute Tawanda Chirewa.
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