Angola 3-0 Namibia: Two red cards as Angola cruise into AFCON quarter-finals
Angola thrashed South African rivals Namibia 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations and extend their winning streak to three games.
Angolan goalkeeper Neblú was red-carded in the 17th minute, but it was Namibia who entered the break in disarray after a Gelson Dala brace and a red-card for defender Lubeni Haukongo.
Mabululu added a third after the break to secure the Sable Antelopes’ largest ever AFCON win and their place in the quarter-finals.
The game started slowly, but took a dramatic turn in the 17th minute when Angolan goalkeeper Neblú was dismissed after palming away Bethuel Muzeu’s chipped effort outside his penalty box.
Replacement goalkeeper Antonio Dominique was called into action immediately, diving low to deny Deon Hotto’s delicate free-kick.
Faced with 10-men, The Brave Warriors looked to be imposing themselves until they were dealt three devastating blows on the brink of half-time.
In the 38th minute, an unmarked Fredy ghosted into the Namibian box and slid the ball across for Dala to finish with ease.
Namibia’s lack of knockout experience was evident in the capitulation that followed, with Haukongo seeing a second-yellow for a clumsy challenge shortly after the restart.
A familiar combination then compounded Namibian woes, as Fredy’s pinpoint delivery from the resulting free-kick was headed home by Dala.
Angola put the game beyond doubt in the 66th minute when Mabululu claimed his third of the tournament with a superb curled finish into the far-corner of Lloyd Kazapua’s goal.
Angola’s Zito Luvumbo added some drama to an otherwise uneventful closing stages in the 91st minute, rattling the crossbar from long-range, but the result was secure by this point.
What now for Angola?
The Sable Antelopes will face either Nigeria or Cameroon in the quarter-finals, sides with considerably more AFCON acumen than either themselves or Namibia.
However, the Sable Antelope’s red-hot form will give them every confidence against two sides who have failed to impress so far.
They will be fresh too, with Pedro Gonçalves able to substitute several key players after the third goal.
Feature image credit: Ben Sutherland
