January 27, (THEWILL) – Angola booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after a dramatic 3-0 win over Namibia, as both sides had a player sent off in Bouake. The competing teams were reduced to 10 men in a fiery first half, but two goals from Gelson Dala put Angola firmly in control at the break. Striker Mabululu wrapped up the win midway through the second half as Angola progressed to the last eight.
The match exploded into life in the 17th minute when Namibia goalkeeper Neblu was shown a straight red card for handball outside his area, leaving his side a man down early on. Despite this setback, it was Angola who took the lead in the 38th minute through Dala’s calm finish from Fredy’s cross.
Incredibly, Namibia were also reduced to 10 men just before halftime as defender Haukongo received a second yellow card for a foul on Mabululu. Dala doubled Angola’s lead in first-half stoppage time, heading home powerfully from another Fredy set-piece delivery.
With a two-goal cushion, Angola were in complete control of the tie. They secured victory and a quarter-final spot in the 66th-minute courtesy of a fine curled effort from Al Ittihad striker Mabululu after a rapid counterattack.
Namibia battled bravely but could not find a way back into the contest against their ruthless opponents. Angola saw out the win comfortably to reach the last eight of the tournament for the first time since 2013. They will face a stiff test in the quarter-finals but showed here they have the quality and resilience to trouble any team left in the competition.
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.
