Sunday 27 October 2019, 00:50

Angola triumph in FIFA U-17 World Cup debut

  • Angola prevailed 2-1 in their first-ever U-17 World Cup match

  • Palanquinhas midfielder Zini struck early

  • They move to the top of Group A alongside Brazil

Angola's debut match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup turned into their first-ever tournament win, seeing off New Zealand 2-1 at the Estadio Bezerrao Saturday night. A sixth-minute goal from Zini invigorated the African side, and they were able to overcome the All Whites' 54th-minute equaliser by forcing an own goal six minutes later.

Angola [[flag-ang-xs]]

It was a remarkable evening for the Palanquinhas in Brasilia. Their explosive play in wide areas and determination separated them from their competition. Midfielder Zini scored the single goal credited to Angola, while the left-footed Zito, who plays on the right wing, became a nightmare for New Zealand defenders as the match wore on.

New Zealand [[flag-nzl-xs]]

The Oceania champions found themselves up against a physically and technically skilled Angola bunch, and only in select moments were they able to take control of the match. Their best came from forward Matthew Garbett, who produced a savvy nutmeg en lieu to netting the All Whites' lone goal.

Up next

29 October

Group A [[flag-ang-xs]] Angola-Canada [[flag-can-xs]] (Brasilia/Gama, 17:00 local time) [[flag-bra-xs]] Brazil-New Zealand [[flag-nzl-xs]] (Brasilia/Gama, 20:00 local time)