By: Nana Nwame Bediako
The Desert Foxes of Algeria took on the Black Antelopes of Angola on January 15, 2024, in a fiercely contested match at the Stade Bouake, as the two teams shared the point in a 1-1 draw.
Algeria took control of the game with some good composure on the ball and a simple passage of play as they went ahead in the 18th minute with a well-controlled and well-worked goal by Bounedjah. The Desert Foxes dominated much of the play after taking the lead in the first half.
Angola, on the other hand, pushed themselves harder as they went against a high-quality display from the Desert Foxes, who kept the Black Antelope away from their goal in the first half.
Both teams started the second half on a good note, but Angola changed the script by taking the pressure to the Algerians, as they created big chances and also called the Algerian goalkeeper to action on numerous occasions.
As Angola continued to persist in getting back into the game, they eventually won a crucial penalty, which gave them some momentum to fight back and later took the game to Algeria in the dying minutes.
The penalty was both won and converted from the spot by Mabululu in the 68th minute of play. Mabululu nearly missed the penalty as his strike stuck the post before passing the line, but he made sure the ball fully entered the goal as he followed up to avoid any upset.