Zimbabwe pinched a priceless point and kept their Africa Cup of Nations hopes alive in Marrakech, drawing 1-1 with Angola in a Group B contest that swung on moments of quality and willpower. Angola were sharper early and led through Gelson Dala, but Knowledge Musona struck deep into first-half stoppage time to square it. From there, goalkeepers Washington Arubi and Hugo Marques took center stage, and the margin for error in this group got even thinner.

AFCON Group B stakes in Marrakech

This was the second matchday in Group B at AFCON 2025, played at the Grand Stade de Marrakech—also known as Stade de Marrakech—in Morocco. Angola came in under pressure after a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in their opener. Zimbabwe, chasing momentum, needed a result to stay on track.

By full-time, the 1-1 draw kept both teams alive, but it also left both with work to do. Angola face Egypt next. Zimbabwe draw South Africa. Two heavyweights, two must-win scenarios. The stage is set for a nerve-jangling finale.

Dala strikes after a bright Angolan start

Angola began on the front foot and controlled much of the early play. Their reward came midway through the first half, and it was a clean, clinical move. To Carneiro, later named Man of the Match by Flashscore, created the opening with a precise cross. Gelson Dala—listed as Gondala in some reports—ghosted into space and guided a low finish into the near bottom-left corner from close range.

The goal mattered for more than the scoreline. It was Dala’s 16th in his 46th appearance for Angola, a striker’s rhythm marker that tells you he is still their sharpest finisher. It also mirrored the broadcast call that captured the moment: “Zimbabwe went to sleep at the back there. Gondala punishes him.” The lesson was simple—switch off for a second at AFCON and you get punished.

“Dala’s run was smart, but how do you lose a striker that close to goal?”

Musona’s stoppage-time equaliser flips the mood

Zimbabwe’s response arrived at the perfect time—seconds before the referee’s halftime whistle. In the sixth minute of added time, Musona pounced, drilling a driven shot across goal into the same bottom-left corner Dala had found earlier. It was a clean strike and a big-moment play from a leader who has seen it all.

The timing changed the game. Angola had dominated for long spells in the first half, but Musona’s equaliser steadied Zimbabwe and gave them belief. In tight tournaments, those edges—belief, timing, the sense that you can nick something—often matter as much as tactics.

Arubi and Marques: the keepers who shaped the night

Once the game settled, the story became as much about the men in goal as the men in attack. Washington Arubi was Zimbabwe’s rock. He produced several alert stops, most notably twice foiling Angola’s Jonathan Buatu—first on a strong header and later on a driven effort. The commentary summed one of them up simply: “What a save from Arubi.”

At the other end, Hugo Marques gave Angola the platform to survive a nervy second half. Zimbabwe carved the best chances after the break, with Ishmael Wadi and Tawanda Chirewa both testing the Angolan goalkeeper. Marques met those moments with the composure his team needed, keeping the score at 1-1 when the match could easily have tilted away from Angola.

“Arubi kept Zimbabwe in the fight; Marques kept Angola in the tournament.”

Missed chances and the second-half story

Angola looked slick early, but after the equaliser, the control slipped. Zimbabwe began to win more second balls and drive through midfield with purpose. The angles changed, the line of engagement moved 10 yards higher, and the clearer openings belonged to Zimbabwe.

Still, the final pass and finish eluded both sides. Angola carried a threat on set plays—where Arubi’s command stood out—and through Dala’s movement, fed by To Carneiro’s steady delivery. Zimbabwe’s best moments asked big questions of Marques but didn’t produce the winning goal. It was that kind of night: effort, half-chances, and two goalkeepers refusing to blink.

Man of the Match: To Carneiro’s quiet excellence

Flashscore named To Carneiro as Man of the Match, and it was a fair shout. He provided the assist for Dala’s opener and stitched play together in advanced areas. In a tight, tactical match, that one moment of quality—his measured cross—stood out as the game’s most polished piece of craft.

“If Carneiro gives Dala that service vs Egypt, Angola still have a puncher’s chance.”

What the draw means for Group B

The maths is simple, and it’s ruthless. Angola, already stung by a 2-1 loss to South Africa in the opener, must now beat Egypt to have a real shot at advancing. Zimbabwe, buoyed by this comeback, must topple South Africa. Both assignments are tough. Both are still possible.

• Angola vs Egypt: Angola need a win to avoid an early exit.
• Zimbabwe vs South Africa: Zimbabwe’s hopes hinge on three points.

Neither side will fear the moment after what they showed here. Angola proved they can craft chances. Zimbabwe proved they can absorb pressure, reset, and strike. But at AFCON, the details define your fate: who finishes, who keeps calm, who turns a half-chance into the headline.

The bottom line

On a cool Marrakesh evening, Angola and Zimbabwe split the points in a match that told two stories—Angola’s missed chance to take control and Zimbabwe’s grit to fight back. Dala’s smart finish and Musona’s late first-half equaliser framed the scoreline. Arubi and Marques wrote the rest with big saves. The draw keeps the group alive and the nerves on edge.

Now it comes down to the final round. Angola stare at Egypt, a do-or-die test. Zimbabwe face South Africa, a hurdle with history and bite. If this match was the set-up, the next ones will be the punchline. In Group B, the margins are thin, and the next goal could be the one that decides everything.