Angola and Zimbabwe earned their first factors on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) however should spring a shock of their closing group-stage matches after an entertaining attract Marrakech on Friday.
Palancas Negras ahead Gelson Dala smashed within the Twenty fourth-minute opener from To Carneiro’s deft chip, however 35-year-old Warriors icon Information Musona introduced down Invoice Antonio’s cross with beautiful accuracy earlier than making use of a end to match for the equaliser throughout first-half added time.
Angola misplaced their opener 2-1 to South Africa and Zimbabwe had been crushed by the identical scoreline after main towards Egypt, that means each groups want a constructive consequence as appreciable underdogs in 4 days’ time.
He was in every single place right this moment. Fredy is your TotalEnergies Man of the Match towards Zimbabwe. 🌟🇦🇴#TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/DAanM8bKhn
— TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) December 26, 2025
Angola 1-1 Zimbabwe: Dala, Musona strike
These sides had made encouraging begins to their campaigns regardless of losses, Angola solely shedding to a 91st-minute strike from Liverpool ahead Mo Salah after Burnley’s Lyle Foster had curled in a late winner to sentence Zimbabwe to defeat.
Egypt or South Africa will advance with a sport to spare if both wins their later sport in Group B in Agadir on Friday (15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET / 07:00 PT).
All 4 sides within the part full their opening fixtures on Monday (16:00 GMT / 11:00 ET / 08:00 PT), when Angola tackle Egypt in Agadir and Zimbabwe are in Marrakech to play South Africa.
Angola workforce vs Zimbabwe
Angola’s three adjustments included bringing in Nottingham Forest centre-back David Carmo, who’s on mortgage to Oviedo.
Winger Manuel Benson – at the moment being borrowed from Burnley by Swansea Metropolis – was additionally new of their facet, as was Vitoria midfielder Beni.
Kialonda Gaspar, Maestro and Zito Luvumbo made means. AEK Athens ahead Zini Salvador had been dominated out of the match after sustaining an harm at membership stage.
Angola beginning XI: Hugo Marques, Clinton Mata, Jonathan Buatu, David Carmo, To Carneiro, Manuel Benson, Beni, Fredy, Present, Gelson Dala, M’Bala Nzola
Angola substitutes: Signori Antonio, Nurio Fortuna, Kialonda Gaspar, Milson, Maestro, Ary Papel, Randy Nteka, Zito Luvumbo, Mabululu, Eddie Afonso, Neblu, Mario Balburdia, Rui Modesto, Chico Banza, Pedro Bondo
Zimbabwe workforce vs Angola
Skilled ahead Information Musona got here in to the beginning line-up for Zimbabwe, who had been with out Walter Musona – a scorer twice in qualifying.
Defender Divine Lunga, winger Invoice Antonio and ahead Macauley Bonne, of English eighth-tier workforce Maldon & Tiptree, had been additionally new faces of their facet.
Godknows Murwira, Munashe Garan’anga, Daniel Msendami and Washington Navaya moved to the bench.
Zimbabwe beginning XI: Washington Arubi, Gerald Takwara, Marvelous Nakamba, Teenage Hadebe, Emmanuel Jalai, Prince Dube, Jonah Fabisch, Invoice Antonio, Divine Lunga, Macauley Bonne, Information Musona
Zimbabwe substitutes: Elvis Chipezeze, Sean Fusire, Prosper Padera, Washington Navaya, Brendan Galloway, Daniel Msendami, Martin Mapisa, Tawanda Maswanhise, Tawanda Chirewa, Godknows Murwira, Isheanesu Mauchi, Alec Mudimu, Ishmael Wadi, Junior Zindoga28Tadiwa Chakuchichi
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Angola vs Zimbabwe stats
On the three events when Angola have misplaced their opening sport (1996, 2006 and 2025), they’ve drawn their following match
They’ve by no means misplaced their opening sport and progressed to the knockout rounds
In 10 second group AFCON video games, Angola have received three (2008 vs Senegal, 2010 vs Mali, 2023 vs Mauritania), drawn 5 and misplaced two (each to South Africa, in 1996 and 2013)
Three of Angola’s final seven AFCON objectives have been scored following a free kick, all assisted by Fredy
Zimbabwe have by no means received inside their first two video games on the finals, with all 4 of their wins of their closing group sport
Their general AFCON report is W3 D3 L11
None of their video games on the finals have ended 0-0 and so they have by no means recorded a clear sheet
This was their second sport towards a fellow Southern African workforce at AFCON; the primary was a 2–1 loss to Malawi of their second group sport in 2021
A run of scoring in every of their final 4 video games is the longest run of successive objectives on the AFCON of their historical past
In six AFCON appearances, they’ve misplaced their second group video games 4 occasions (2004, 2006, 2017, 2021) and drawn twice (2019, 2025)
Angola AFCON 2025 squad
Goalkeepers: Neblu (Primero Agosto), Hugo Marques (Petro de Luanda), Dominique (Etoile Carouge).
Defenders: Rui Modesto (Udinese), Eddie Afonso (Petro de Luanda), To Carneiro (AS FAR), Nurio Fortuna (Volos FC), Pedro Bondo (Famalicao), David Carmo (Actual Oviedo), Buatu (Gil Vicente), Gaspar (Lecce), Clinton Mata (Lyon).
Midfielders: Beni Mukendi (Victoria SC), Present (Kocaelispor), Fredy (Bodrumspor), Maestro (Alanyaspor), Manuel Keliano (Akhmat Grozny), Mario Balburdia (Boluspor).
Forwards: Zito Luvumbo (Cagliari), Manuel Benson (Swansea Metropolis), Milson (Crvena Zvezda), Chico Banza (Zamalek), Gelson Dala (Al Wakrah), Randy Nteka (Rayo Vallecano), Ary Papel (Al Akhdar), Mabululu (Al Ahli Tripoli), Mbala Nzola (Pisa), Zine (AEK Athens).
Zimbabwe AFCON 2025 squad
Goalkeepers: Washington Arubi (Marumo Gallants), Elvis Chipezeze (Magesi), Martin Mapisa (MWOS FC).
Defenders: Godknows Murwira (Scottland), Emmanuel Jalai (Dynamos FC), Sean Fusire (Sheffield Wednesday), Munashe Garananga (FC Copenhagen), Gerald Takwara (Al Ittihad Misurata), Isheanesu Mauchi (Simba Bhora), Brendon Galloway (Plymouth Argyle), Teenage Hadebe (FC Cincinnati), Alec Mudimu (Flint City United), Divine Lunga (Mamelodi Sundowns).
Midfielders: Marvelous Nakamba (Luton City), Jonah Fabisch (Erzgebirg Aue), Andy Rinomhota (Studying), Prosper Padera (SJK Seinajoki), Tawanda Chirewa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Information Musona (Scottland)
Forwards: Invoice Antonio (KV Mechelen), Ishmael Wadi (CAPS United), Tawanda Maswanhise (Motherwell), Daniel Msendami (Marumo Gallants), Prince Dube (Younger Africans), Washington Navaya (TelOne FC), Macauley Bonne (Maldon & Tiptree), Junior Zindoga (TS Galaxy), Tadiwanashe Chakuchichi (Scottland)
AFCON 2025 fixtures, full Africa Cup of Nations schedule
Sunday, December 21 2025
Group A: Morocco 2-0 Comoros (Rabat)
Monday, December 22 2025
Group A: Mali 1-1 Zambia (Casablanca)
Group B: South Africa 2-1 Angola (Marrakech)
Group B: Egypt 2-1 Zimbabwe (Agadir)
Tuesday, December 23 2025
Group D: Senegal 3-0 Botswana (Tangie)
Group D: DR Congo 1-0 Benin (Rabat)
Group C: Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania (Fes)
Group C: Tunisia 3-1 Uganda (Rabat)
Wednesday, December 24 2025
Group E: Burkina Faso 2-1 Equatorial Guinea (Casablanca)
Group E: Algeria 3-0 Sudan (Rabat)
Group F: Ivory Coast 1-0 Mozambique (Marrakech)
Group F: Cameroon 1-0 Gabon (Agadir)
Friday, December 26 2025
Group B: Angola vs Zimbabwe (Marrakech, 12:30)
Group B: Egypt vs South Africa (Agadir, 15:00)
Group A: Zambia vs Comoros (Casablanca, 17:30)
Group A: Morocco vs Mali (Rabat, 20:00)
Saturday, December 27 2025
Group D: Benin vs Botswana (Rabat, 12:30)
Group D: Senegal vs DR Congo (Tangier, 15:00)
Group C: Uganda vs Tanzania (Rabat 3, 17:30)
Group C: Nigeria vs Tunisia (Fes, 20:00)
Sunday, December 28 2025
Group F: Gabon vs Mozambique (Agadir, 12:30)
Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan (Casablanca, 15:00)
Group E: Algeria vs Burkina Faso (Rabat, 17:30)
Group F: Ivory Coast vs Cameroon, (Marrakech, 20:00)
Monday, December 29 2025
Group B: Angola vs Egypt (Agadir, 16:00)
Group B: Zimbabwe vs South Africa (Marrakech, 16:00)
Group A: Comoros vs Mali (Casablanca, 19:00)
Group A: Zambia vs Morocco (Rabat, 19:00)
Tuesday, December 30 2025
Group C: Tanzania vs Tunisia (Rabat, 16:00)
Group C: Uganda vs Nigeria (Fes, 16:00)
Group D: Benin vs Senegal (Tangier, 19:00)
Group D: Botswana vs DR Congo (Rabat, 19:00)
Wednesday, December 31 2025
Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria (Rabat, 16:00)
Group E: Sudan vs Burkina Faso (Casablanca, 16:00)
Group F: Gabon vs Ivory Coast (Marrakech, 19:00)
Group F: Mozambique vs Cameroon (Agadir, 19:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 spherical of 16
Saturday, January 3 2026
SR1: Group D winners vs Group B/E/F third-place (Tangier, 16:00)
SR2: Group A runners-up vs Group C runners-up (Casablanca, 19:00)
Sunday, January 4
SR3: Group A winners vs Group C/D/E third-place (Rabat, 16:00)
SR4: Group B runners-up vs Group F runners-up (Rabat, 19:00)
Monday, January 5
SR5: Group B winners vs Group A/C/D third-place (Agadir, 6pm)
SR6: Group C winners vs Group A/B/F third-place (Fes, 8:30pm)
Tuesday, January 6
SR7: Group E winners vs Group D runners-up (Rabat 2, 6pm)
SR8: Group F winners vs Group E runners-up (Marrakech, 8:30pm)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 quarter-finals
Friday, January 9
QF1: Winner SR2 vs Winner SR1 (Tangier, 16:00)
QF2: Winner SR4 vs Winner SR3 (Rabat, 19:00)
Saturday, January 10
QF3: Winner SR7 vs Winner SR6 (Marrakech, 16:00)
QF4: Winner SR5 vs Winner SR8 (Agadir, 19:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 semi-finals
Wednesday, January 14
SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF4 (Tangier, 17:00)
SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF2 (Rabat, 20:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 third-place match
Saturday, January 17
SF1 vs SF2 losers (Casablanca, 16:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 closing
Sunday, January 18
SF1 vs SF2 winners (Rabat, 19:00)
