Angola 2-0 Burkina Faso: Palancas Negras keep Angol-ing for success
(AFP) – Two-time quarter-finalists Angola topped an Africa Cup of Nations group for the first time ever, with a 2-0 victory over Burkina Faso in Yamoussoukro marking their ninth straight game without defeat across all competitions.
With just two points separating the top three teams, and these sides sharing four points apiece ahead of kick off, the door for bragging rights in Group D was wide open. However, a dull start to the game meant neither side mustered any real chance early on, before Issa Kaboré spurned a fantastic opportunity for the Burkinabè midway through the half, skying his strike over the crossbar after picking up an inch-perfect pass inside the box.
The Stallions were soon punished at the other end for their defensive lapse following a free kick delivery, at the end of which Mabululu directed an easy header into the roof of the net to draw first blood. The Palancas Negras subsequently held onto their lead with reasonable comfort going into the break, but as a team that had lost just once across their eight previous outings, their opponents still had every reason to hope for a comeback in the second half.
Burkina Faso showcased great patience and team chemistry once the ball got rolling again, but struggled to make a difference in the final third, as Pedro Gonçalves’ outfit maintained great defensive composure heading into the final 30 minutes. Having scored in 16 consecutive games before today, the Burkinabè were expected to raise the stakes thereafter, especially after seeing the back of the net beyond the 80th minute mark in five of their last six AFCON finals matches.
Regardless of the impressive stats working against them on paper, Angola proved confident enough to register back-to-back victories on grass for the first time since November 2022, but not before Zini netted a point-blank rebound to double his side’s tally in stoppage time. Despite the minor setback of finishing second in Group D, Burkina Faso will look to bounce back in the knockout stages, while Angola have much to look forward to after what is their most successful AFCON group stage campaign.
MATCH STATISTICS
FULL-TIME STATISTICS
Angola 2-0 Burkina Faso
Mabululu and Zini was on target for the Sable Antelopes as they whipped the Stallions to finish top of group C.#AFCONWithMIAS#AFCON2023 #CAN2023#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/2WuCPAOF2t
— Made In Africa Sport (@madeinafricaweb) January 23, 2024
MAN OF THE MATCH
🇦🇴 Kialonda Gaspar 🇦🇴
The Angolan defender showed up greatly vs. Burkina Faso to become the TotalEnergies Man of the Match! ⭐️#ANGBFA | #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/8SgRxa5zSh
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) January 23, 2024
FINAL GROUP STANDING
AFCON 2023 Group D
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Angola | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 2 |  Burkina Faso | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4 |
| 3 |  Mauritania | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 |  Algeria | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 2 |
