Red Devils, Warriors face off in first-ever AFCON boxing day match

Kindly share this story:

The Africa Cup of Nations will break new ground on Friday when Angola and Zimbabwe meet in the competition’s first-ever Boxing Day fixture, as Group B action continues at the Stade de Marrakech in Morocco, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The meeting between the Red Devils and the Warriors comes amid a tournament already steeped in history, with the 2025 edition becoming the first AFCON to begin in December since the competition was founded in 1957.

It is only the second time the continental showpiece has featured December fixtures, following the 1963 tournament in Ghana, which concluded on December 1.

In this edition, 38 of the 54 matches will be played before the end of December, with the remaining knockout fixtures scheduled for January.

The encounter is one of four matches scheduled on a landmark Boxing Day for the tournament, it will be followed by a heavyweight clash between Egypt and South Africa in Agadir, before Zambia face Comoros in Casablanca, with hosts Morocco rounding off the day against Mali in Rabat.

Both Angola and Zimbabwe arrive in Marrakech under early pressure after suffering opening-day defeats in a group that also features tournament heavyweights Egypt and South Africa. With the group table already beginning to take shape, the stakes are high for both sides as they seek to keep their hopes of progression alive.

Angola are looking to respond after a narrow 2–1 defeat to South Africa in their opening match. Show had cancelled out an early goal before Lyle Foster struck late to hand Bafana Bafana the victory. The result extended Angola’s struggles in AFCON openers, with the Red Devils now winless in nine of their ten opening matches at the finals, recording six draws and three defeats. Their only opening-game win came in 2012 against Burkina Faso.

History offers little comfort for Patrice Beaumelle’s side. On the two previous occasions Angola lost their opening AFCON match, in 1996 and 2006, they failed to advance beyond the group stage, drawing their second fixtures on both occasions. They have, however, won their second group match three times after failing to win their opener, most recently in 2023 against Mauritania.

Across nine previous second group matches at the tournament, Angola have posted a mixed record of three wins, four draws and two defeats, with both losses coming against South Africa. Their pre-tournament form was similarly inconsistent, with three wins, two draws and one defeat in their last six competitive outings, although they did show attacking promise by scoring at least three goals in recent victories over Mauritius, Zambia and Mozambique.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, are also seeking a response after conceding twice in the second half of their opening fixture against Egypt. Goals from Omar Marmoush and Mohamed Salah condemned the Warriors to their third consecutive opening-game defeat at the AFCON and their fifth overall. The loss was also their 11th in 16 matches at the finals.

Progress beyond the group stage has historically proved difficult for Zimbabwe, who have lost their second group match in four of their five previous AFCON appearances, drawing only once in 2019. Notably, all three of their tournament victories have come in their final group matches, with the Warriors never winning either of their first two games at the competition.

Despite those struggles, Marian Marinica’s side have shown signs of resilience, scoring in each of their last three AFCON matches, their longest scoring run at the finals. However, they remain without a clean sheet at the tournament, and their last five AFCON games have all produced a winner.

The fixture also renews a familiar Southern African rivalry. Angola and Zimbabwe have faced each other 19 times across all competitions, sharing eight wins each with three draws. Their first meeting dates back to a friendly in November 1985, which Zimbabwe won 3–2.

Kindly share this story:

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: [email protected]

UPDATE NEWS: Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25Million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, 👉 click here to find out how it work (Be sure to ask for evidence of clients that have benefitted from this)

Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Punch Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline – join now!

Stay in the know—fast. Get instant alerts, breaking headlines, and exclusive stories with the Punch News App. Download now and never miss a beat.