Algeria were held to a 1-1 draw against Angola in their opening Group D game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, with a second-half Cristovao Paciencia Mabululu penalty denying the North Africans a vital first win.
The 2019 champions got off the mark through Baghdad Bounedjah’s opening goal after 18 minutes in Bouake, Ivory Coast’s second city, but they failed to double their lead at the break.
Algeria were pegged back midway through the second half as substitute Mabululu converted from the spot after he was fouled in the box by Nabil Bentaleb.
Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi expressed his disappointment in his post-match interview. “This is not the result we expected. We were expecting to have three points. We tried our best and didn’t want to lose the game, so we did what we could to get a necessary point.”
Algeria’s next outing is against Burkina Faso on Saturday, as Angola faces Mauritania in the evening kickoff (20h00).
In Group C’s second game, Guinea and Cameroon shared opening spoils 1-1 at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023.
Earlier, holders Senegal thrashed the Gambia 3-0 – they will face Cameroon on Friday, January 19, at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium –Guinea‘s Syli National take on Gambia on the same day in a late kickoff.
Group C - holders Senegal 🇸🇳 in control after hammering the Gambia 🇬🇲 as @FecafootOfficie & @fgfofficiel shared opening spoils
— #AFCON2023WithBittar (@bittar32) January 16, 2024
Group D - @Algeria_FC held by Angola in Opener #TotalEnergieAFCON2023 #AFCON2023 #AFCON2023WithBittar pic.twitter.com/YOjYXxbMmV
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