MATCH STATS: Angola vs Zimbabwe – TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Group B

Angola and Zimbabwe both opened their Group B campaigns at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 with 2–1 defeats, losing to South Africa and Egypt respectively.

The two sides meet in their second match at the Marrakesh Stadium on 26 December, with kick-off scheduled for 13h30 local time (12h30 GMT). This will be their first meeting at an AFCON finals.

Angola and Zimbabwe have met four times in AFCON Qualifying previously (1998 and 2013), with Angola finishing ahead of Zimbabwe in both campaigns, reaching the finals while Zimbabwe failed to qualify.

They were also paired together in 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifying, with each team winning their home game. Angola went on to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Angola have won the last two meetings between the nations and three of the last four overall, with Zimbabwe winning once.

Their first-ever meeting was a friendly in 1985, which Zimbabwe won 3–2 on 10 November.

PAST MEETINGS
OVERALL
Angola: P19 W8 D3 L8 GF20 GA23 GD-3
Zimbabwe: P19 W8 D3 L8 GF23 GA20 GD+3

Angola – Key Statistics

• Angola lost their opening game 2–1 against South Africa, marking their third defeat in an opening AFCON game.• They have failed to win nine of their ten opening games at AFCON (D6 L3). Their only opening-game victory came in 2012, a 2–1 win over Burkina Faso.
• On the two previous occasions when Angola lost their opening game (1996 and 2006), they drew their following match.
• They have never previously lost their opening game and progressed to the knockout rounds.
• On three occasions when failing to win their opening game, all of which ended in draws, Angola managed to win their second game: 2008 (1–1 vs South Africa, then 3–1 vs Senegal), 2010 (4–4 vs Mali, then 2–0 vs Malawi), 2023 (1–1 vs Tanzania, then 3–2 vs Mauritania).
• In nine previous second group games at AFCON, Angola have won three (2008 vs Senegal, 2010 vs Mali, 2023 vs Mauritania), drawn four, and lost two (both to South Africa in 1996 and 2013).
• Show scored Angola’s only goal against South Africa, his second for the national team in 50 appearances and his first at AFCON finals. He was playing in his eighth AFCON game. His previous goal came in a 2–0 2023 AFCON qualifier win over Gabon.
• Fredy provided the assist for Show, marking his fourth AFCON assist in his last four games. This was the first time Angola lost a game in which Fredy assisted; he had won the previous two.
• Angola committed 23 fouls against South Africa, the most in a single AFCON game since at least 2010.
• Three of Angola’s last six AFCON goals have been scored following a free kick, all assisted by Fredy.

Zimbabwe – Key Statistics

• Zimbabwe lost their opening game 2–1 to Egypt, marking their third consecutive opening game defeat and fifth overall (D1).
• They have never won inside their first two games at AFCON; all three of their wins have come in their final group game.
• The match against Egypt was their 16th at AFCON and the 11th they have lost (W3 D2).
• Their last five AFCON games have produced a winner (W1 L4).
• They have been involved in six successive games that produced a winner only once previously, during their first six AFCON matches (W2 L4).
• Zimbabwe is yet to be involved in a 0–0 draw at AFCON and has yet to keep a clean sheet.
• Prince Dube scored Zimbabwe’s goal against Egypt, his seventh for the national team and first at AFCON in his seventh appearance. This was the fifth time Zimbabwe scored first in a game at AFCON but ended up losing.
• Goalkeeper Washington Arubi made six saves against Egypt.
• Zimbabwe completed 111 passes in the game, with Arubi contributing 30.
• They committed 15 fouls and held just 22% possession.
• This is their second game against a fellow Southern African team at AFCON; the first was a 2–1 loss to Malawi in their second group game in 2021.
• They have scored in their last three games, the longest run of successive goals at AFCON in their history.
• In five previous AFCON appearances, they have lost their second group games four times (2004, 2006, 2017, 2021) and drew once (2019).