An entertaining 3-2 victory over Mauritania in Group D has put Angola on the cusp of qualification for the AFCON knockout stages.
A brace from striker Gelson Dala and a deflected Gilberto strike earned Angola the win in a back-and-forth affair in Bouake on Saturday.
Dala opened the scoring for Angola in the 30th minute, reacting quickest to stab home from close range after a goalmouth scramble from a corner kick. His acrobatic effort looped into the net to put Angola ahead.
Mauritania equalized just before halftime through Sidi Bouna Amar’s mazy run and precise low finish. But Dala responded immediately after the break, beating two defenders with fancy footwork before slotting home Angola’s second.
The see-saw nature of the game continued when Gilberto’s shot took a wicked deflection off Lamine Ba to restore Angola’s lead at 3-1.
Aboubakary Koita kept Mauritania in the hunt with a long-range piledriver, cutting the deficit to just one goal with 25 minutes left. Mauritania pressed intensely for an equalizer as the game opened up.
But Angola goalkeeper Neblu made a fantastic reflex save to deny Amar his second goal, preserving Angola’s lead till the final whistle.
The victory gives Angola 4 points after they held reigning champs Algeria 1-1 in their opener. They now lead Group D ahead of their final clash with Burkina Faso. Just a draw would guarantee Angola knockout qualification.
Meanwhile, Mauritania succumbed to an 8th straight AFCON defeat, despite an spirited performance. They must now beat Algeria in their last match to have a chance of sneaking through as one of the best third-placed teams.
