The The Africa Cup of Nations will make history on Friday with the inaugural Boxing Day match between Angola and Zimbabwe, as play in Group B progresses at the Stade de Marrakech in Morocco, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The clash between the Red Devils and the Warriors takes place during a tournament rich with tradition, as the 2025 version marks the inaugural AFCON to start in December since the event began in 1957.
This is just the second instance where the continental event included matches in December, after the 1963 competition held in Ghana, which ended on December 1.
This version includes 38 out of 54 matches set to conclude by the end of December, while the rest of the elimination games are planned for January.
One of four contests set for a significant Boxing Day event in the competition, this match will be succeeded by a heavyweights showdown between Egypt and South Africa in Agadir, then Zambia will take on Comoros in Casablanca, as host nation Morocco conclude the day with a game against Mali in Rabat.
Angola and Zimbabwe reach Marrakech facing initial challenges following their first-day losses in a group that includes major powerhouses like Egypt and South Africa. As the group standings start to form, the situation is critical for both teams aiming to maintain their chances of advancing.
Angola aims to bounce back following a close 2-1 loss against South Africa in their first game. Show equalized after conceding an early goal, but Lyle Foster scored later to secure success for Bafana Bafana. This outcome continued Angola's difficulties in AFCON group stages, as the Red Devils have remained unbeaten in just six of their last ten opening matches, resulting in six draws and three losses. Their sole triumph in an opener occurred in 2012 when they beat Burkina Faso.
The history does not provide much hope for Patrice Beaumelle's team. In the past, when Angola suffered an opening loss at the AFCON, which happened in 1996 and 2006, they were unable to progress past the group phase, managing only draws in their subsequent matches each time. Nevertheless, they have managed to secure victories in their second group game on three instances following a failure to win their first encounter, with the latest occurrence being in 2023 against Mauritania.
In the past nine Group 2 matches during the competition, Angola has had an uneven performance, recording three wins, four draws, and two losses, with both setbacks occurring against South Africa. Prior to the tournament, their performance was also unpredictable, as they secured three wins, two draws, and one loss in their final six official games. Despite this inconsistency, they demonstrated offensive potential by netting at least three goals in recent triumphs over Mauritius, Zambia, and Mozambique.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe are also looking for answers following two conceded goals in the second half of their first match against Egypt. Scores by Omar Marmoush and Mohamed Salah led to another defeat for the Warriors in their opening game at the AFCON, marking their third straight loss in such fixtures and their fifth total. This setback was also their 11th in 16 games at the tournament.
Zimbabwe has traditionally faced challenges advancing past the group stage, having lost their second group game in four out of their five prior AFCON participations, managing just one draw in 2019. Significantly, all three of their tournament wins occurred in the last group match, as the Warriors have never won either of their opening two fixtures in the event.
Although facing these challenges, the team led by Marian Marinica has demonstrated strength, finding the net in every one of their past three AFCON contests, marking their longest streak of goals scored in the competition. Nevertheless, they still haven’t managed a shutout during this tournament, and in their last five AFCON encounters, someone always came out victorious.
The match also revives a well-known rivalry between southern African nations. Angola and Zimbabwe have played against each other 19 times in various tournaments, with both teams securing eight victories and three matches ending in a draw. Their initial encounter took place in a friendly game in November 1985, which Zimbabwe won 3–2.
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