January 17, (THEWILL) – In the opening Group D match of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship, Mali and Angola played out an exciting 3-3 draw at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran on Monday.
Angola’s Laurindo Aurelio scored twice in the first half, but Mali fought back with goals from Haidou Sinyako, Yoro Diaby, and Ousmane Coulibaly, to secure a point.
Angola broke the deadlock in the 12th minute when Eddie Afonso provided an inch-perfect cross for Aurelio to slide home. However, Mali equalised in the 23rd minute after Hamidou Sinayoko capitalised on a loose ball following a scramble in the box.
Angola regained the lead just before halftime with Aurelio’s second goal, but Mali came out strong in the second half. The Malians were caught on the counter in the 73rd minute when Aurelio set up Miguel Viera for Angola’s third goal. However, Mali continued to push forward and were rewarded with a powerful header from Yoro Diaby in the 78th minute. The equalizer came just moments later as Coulibaly remained calm in the box to fire home on his second attempt and level the match.
Angola will now face Mauritania on Friday, January 20th, while Mali will take on Mauritania on Tuesday, January 24th, both at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
