Yesterday’s results

Group B
Sudan 2-2 Angola

Today’s fixtures
Group C
Niger vs Tunisia
Gabon vs Morocco

Sudan ended a 36-year Africa Cup of Nations goal drought as they came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Angola in the first of two Group B matches played yesterday.

Former Manchester United striker Manucho scored five minutes into each half for the Black Antelopes and Mohamed Bashir twice levelled for the Jediane Falcons at a sparsely populated Estadio Nuevo de Malabo.

Angola came into the game anxious to silence critics like Burkina Faso coach Paulo Duarte, who accused his conquerors of being a route-one team fond of time wasting.

Coach Mohamed Abdalla sprang a surprise by ditching long-time Sudan first choice goalkeeper Almoiz Mahgoub and promoting Akram while fit-again Mohamed Tahir returned in the other change from a team narrowly beaten by Ivory Coast.

Akram did not have a memorable introduction to Cup of Nations football as he picked the ball out of the net only five minutes into the game after an opportunist Manucho goal.

On the 29th minute, Sudan leveled as Bashir headed home a millimetre-perfect Mudathir Eltaib cross.

It was the first goal scored by the Falcons since March 6 1976 when they drew 1-1 with Zaire – now the Democratic Republic of Congo – in a meaningless group game.

Agencies