Mali come from 2 Down To Draw Against Angola

Ousmane Coulibaly equalised seven minutes from time as Mali came from two goals behind to draw 3-3 with Angola on Monday in an African Nations Championship (CHAN) thriller in Algeria.

When Deivi ‘Gilberto’ Vieira gave the Angolans a two-goal lead on 72 minutes, his side looked set to win the Group D opener at the Olympic Stadium in the chilly western city of Oran.

But Yoro Diaby nodded a corner into the net six minutes later and substitute Coulibaly poked a loose ball past goalkeeper Hugo Marques to complete a dramatic comeback.

Laurindo ‘Depu’ Aurelio had twice put Angola ahead in the opening half with 36-year-old Hamidou Sinayoko scoring in between for Mali.

After only five goals in the first five mini-league matches at three other venues, the goal feast excited a small crowd on a winter evening in the 40,000-seat stadium.

Mali and Angola have both come close to winning a unique national team tournament as it is restricted to footballers playing at clubs in their country of birth.

Angola finished runners-up to Tunisia in 2011 and Mali lost the 2016 final to the Democratic Republic of Congo and were beaten by Morocco in the 2020 title decider.