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Sunday January 10th Luanda - Angola
Mali fightback stuns hostsAngola let a 4 goal lead slip as Mali fought back in the last 11 minutes to draw level and silence the home crowd in the opening match of the African Cup of Nations. Flavio opened the scoring in the 36th minute when he met a free kick at the far post to head the ball into the roof of the net, and 6 minutes Mabina delivered a delightful cross into the box for Flavio to head past Sidibe and double the lead for Angola. Carlos Fernandes in the Angola goal heroically blocked a close range volley from Diarra 3 minutes into the 2nd half, and the hosts went further ahead in the 66th minute when Gilberto dispatched a retaken penalty with aplomb. Manucho sent Carlos Fernandes the wrong way from another penalty kick in the 74th minute to seemingly put the match beyond Mali, but the visitors pulled a goal back with 11 minutes remaining when Fernandes failed to hold onto a low corner kick and Keita forced the ball in from the ensuing scramble. Tamboura floated the ball into the area for Kanoute to rise high and steer past Ferdandes with a header reducing the deficit in the 87th minute, and 3 minutes into stoppage time Keita met a cross on the volley to fire the ball into the net and make it 4-3. Less that a minute later Fernandes could only parry a week side-footed volley from Berthe into the path of Yattabare who completed an amazing comeback from close range. (Angola 4 Mali 4) |
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