Luanda: Angola's national senior football team played to a 2-2 draw against Eswatini in the ninth round of Group D qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Despite being the favorites due to their higher continental ranking, Angola was unable to secure a victory on their home turf.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the match began with Angola creating several scoring opportunities in the first half. However, their inconsistent finishing left the scoreboard unchanged at halftime. The second half commenced unfavorably for the home team, as Eswatini's Justice capitalized on defensive errors to score twice, first in the 47th minute and again in the 55th minute on counterattacks.
Justice's performance was cut short when a collision with Angolan striker Zito Luvumbo resulted in a right thigh injury, prompting his substitution by Zabedze in the 60th minute. Angola responded with tactical changes five minutes later, substituting Milson and Manuel Benson with Show and Ary Papel. This move paid off when Buatu found the net in the 69th minute, assisted by Show's decisive pass.
The momentum shifted, and Angola's relentless pursuit of an equalizer bore fruit when Ary Papel converted a cross from the left side of the field. The draw leaves Angola with an important lesson ahead of their upcoming match. They will travel to Yaound© on Monday to face Cameroon, who recently secured a 2-0 victory over Mauritius.
