By Oni Ladonette Ondesa,
Journalist kick442.com – Cameroon
A trademark Knowledge Musona strike ensured Zimbabwe escaped with a 1-1 draw against a dominant Angola side in a physical encounter defined by missed opportunities and a frantic first-half finish.
Angola started with a high-intensity press that immediately unsettled the Zimbabwean backline. The Palancas Negras’ early dominance was personified by the creative duo of Manuel Benson and Fredy, who consistently found pockets of space behind the Warriors’ midfield.
The breakthrough arrived in the 24th minute. Tó Carneiro bypassed the secondary line of defense with a sublime through ball, allowing Gelson Dala to ghost into the box and side-foot a clinical finish past Washington Arubi.
Despite being under the cosh for much of the opening period, Zimbabwe’s threat on the counter-attack remained potent. As the fourth official signaled six minutes of first-half stoppage time, the Warriors capitalized on a rare lapse in Angolan concentration.
Bill Antonio spearheaded a rapid transition, driving into the final third before squaring for Knowledge Musona. The skipper showed no hesitation, picking out the bottom left corner with a low, driven effort to level the scores with the final kick of the half.
Warriors 🇿🇼 and Palancas Negras 🇦🇴
The second half saw a significant dip in technical quality as the match became a stop-start affair. Tactical fouls replaced fluid football, with the referee brandishing yellow cards to Maestro, Ishmael Wadi, and Prince Dube as both sides struggled to maintain possession.
Angola manager Pedro Gonçalves turned to his bench on the hour mark, introducing Zito Luvumbo and Mabululu to inject fresh impetus. The substitutions nearly paid dividends when Luvumbo’s trickery earned a late corner, but Zimbabwe’s defense, led by the towering David Carmo, held firm under a barrage of late crosses.
While Angola had the lion’s share of possession, they found an immovable object in Washington Arubi. The Zimbabwean shot-stopper produced two world-class saves—first tipping a Jonathan Buatu header around the post and later parrying a goal-bound effort from Milson in the 90th minute.
The draw leaves both sides on one points each, with work to do, but Zimbabwe will undoubtedly be the happier of the two, having weathered a storm to secure a vital point on the road.
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