Zimbabwe’s bid to advance to the knockout rounds of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is in serious jeopardy after the Warriors were held to a 1–1 draw by Angola in their second Group B fixture on Friday.
Following their 2–1 defeat to Egypt in the opening match, Zimbabwe entered the contest knowing that three points were essential to revive their qualification hopes. However, the draw left them with little margin for error.
The Warriors started brightly and nearly took an immediate lead when Antonio struck the crossbar within the first minute of play. Despite the early threat, Angola grew into the game and began to dictate proceedings.
Their dominance paid off in the 24th minute as Gelson Dala broke through the Zimbabwe defence and squeezed a close-range effort past the near post to give Angola the lead.
Angola continued to apply pressure, forcing goalkeeper Washington Arubi into a series of fine saves. Zimbabwe’s difficulties were compounded when defender Teenage Hadebe was forced to leave the field due to injury.
Just before halftime, however, the Warriors found a lifeline. In stoppage time, Antonio floated a clever pass over two defenders into the path of Knowledge Musona, whose excellent control allowed him to calmly slot the ball into the far corner for the equaliser.
The second half saw a more balanced contest, with chances at both ends. Musona, Prince Dube and substitute Tawanda Chirewa all troubled the Angolan backline, while Arubi once again produced crucial saves to keep Zimbabwe level.
Late in the match, Fabisch came close on two occasions but failed to find the target.
Coach Marian Marinica’s tactical choices are likely to come under scrutiny, particularly his decision to keep winger Daniel Msendami on the bench despite his strong showing against Egypt. Motherwell forward Tawanda Maswanhise also remained unused, despite being in good scoring form in the Scottish Premiership.
Zimbabwe now face a must-win encounter against South Africa in their final group match on 29 December if they are to keep their AFCON hopes alive.
