June 05, (THEWILL) – Angola came from behind to secure a point against Madagascar on matchday two of the TotalEnergies 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Group E qualifiers, maintaining their unblemished start to the campaign.
The Palancas Negras maintained their momentum with a 1-1 tie at the Stade Municipal Mahamasina in Antananarivo, bringing them level on points with Ghana at the top of the group after the Black Stars were also held to a 1-1 draw by Central African Republic.
Angola and Madagascar were almost well matched in the first half, with both teams having an equal amount of ball possession and creating few good chances. After 36 minutes, Madagascar opened the scoring thanks to a goal by Njiva Rakotoharimalala, but the lead was quickly erased by Gelson Dala, seven minutes later.
In the second half, the Palancas Negras were the better team, having seen more of the ball, but they were unable to beat goalkeeper Nina Razakanirina, who made six crucial saves to hold the match at 1-1 in the end, giving the Barea its only point so far.
In September, Angola will play Ghana in a doubleheader on matchdays three and four, while Madagascar will face the Central African Republic.
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.
