2019 AFCON winners Algeria were held to a 1-1 draw by Angola in their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday.
Baghdad Bounedjah gave Algeria the lead after 18 minutes in Bouake, Ivory Coast’s second city, and the striker then had a stunning second goal disallowed for a tight offside call soon after.
Unable to put the game to bed, Algeria were pegged back midway through the second half as substitute Mabululu converted from the spot after he had been brought down inside the area denying Riyad Marrez and his team a winning start
Algeria, who also won the AFCON in 1990 but limped out of the last edition in the group stage two years ago, follow Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Cameroon among heavyweight nations who have failed to win their opening game at the tournament.
Angola’s Black Antelopes will be pleased with the point, even if the result means they have now failed to win any of their last nine matches at the Cup of Nations, stretching back to 2012.
Algeria featuring six starters, who also lined up in the 2019 final victory over Senegal in Cairo, will play Burkina Faso in their next match on 20 January, with Angola taking on Mauritania later the same day.
