Angola vs Zimbabwe Preview: COSAFA rivals clash in must-win AFCON Group B encounter

Southern African rivals Angola and Zimbabwe meet in a high-stakes AFCON clash today, with both teams desperate to secure their first points of the tournament after opening-day losses.

Angola and Zimbabwe prepare to face off today at the Stade de Marrakech in a vital Group B fixture that could determine their AFCON survival.

Both nations suffered narrow opening-day defeats, with Angola falling 2–1 to South Africa and Zimbabwe losing by the same margin to tournament favorites Egypt.

Historically, Angola has struggled to recover after losing their first match, having never progressed to the knockout stages following an initial defeat in previous editions.

Zimbabwean manager Marian Marinica received a significant personnel boost as Knowledge Musona, Sean Fusire, and Divine Lunga returned to full training.

The trio missed the opener against Egypt but are now available to bolster a squad desperate for its first tournament points.

However, defender Munashe Garan’anga remains a doubt after sustaining a “dead leg” during the previous match. The Warriors are aiming to break a streak of four losses in their last five AFCON outings.

The Black Sables will look to 35-year-old playmaker Fredy to spark their offense, following his standout performance against South Africa.

While Angola is missing injured forward Zini, their veteran captain remains in career-best form, having already recorded 18 goal contributions in the Turkish second tier this season.

Pundits anticipate a tightly contested “absorbing contest” between these regional rivals, as a draw would keep both sides mathematically alive heading into the final group stage matches.