We look ahead to Saturday’s Group D clash at the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 with our Mauritania vs Angola prediction and preview.
Mauritania vs Angola: Pre-Match Facts
- The Opta supercomputer can barely separate these two but predicts Angola will have a slight edge, giving them a 37% chance of victory.
- Mauritania and Angola’s only previous encounter at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations was in the group stage of the 2019 edition (0-0).
- Their only previous AFCON meeting produced one shot on target (for Angola). That’s the lowest total of shots on target in a single game over the last three tournaments.
- Angola are winless in their last three matches in all competitions against Mauritania (D2 L1), failing to score a single goal against the Lions of Chinguetti since a 4-1 victory in AFCON 2019 qualifying.
- Angola are winless in their last nine Africa Cup of Nations games overall (D5 L4) since a 2-1 win over Burkina Faso in 2012. This is now their outright longest run without a win at AFCON.
- Mauritania remain winless at the Africa Cup of Nations, playing seven games without success so far (D2 L5) and losing their last four.
- Since scoring six goals in their three games in the 2010 tournament, Angola have only scored seven group stage goals across the 2012, 2013, 2019 and 2023 editions since then (10 games).
- Mauritania have failed to score in their last six Africa Cup of Nations matches, becoming only the third nation to do so in AFCON history, along with Kenya (six, 1988-90) and Guinea-Bissau (ongoing run of eight going into MD2 this year).
- Mauritania are on a run of 68 consecutive shots at goal without scoring at the Africa Cup of Nations, since a Moctar El Hacen penalty vs Mali in 2019. Indeed, they are without a single goal in open play at AFCON (44 shots, 7 on target).
- Four of Angola’s last 11 AFCON goals have been scored via a penalty, with Mabululu equalising against Algeria on MD1 this year from the spot. Indeed, 23% of their total AFCON goals have been penalties (7/31), the highest percentage of any side to score at least 10 goals.
- Mauritania captain Aly Abeid was top for both successful passes (21) and chances created (3) among his teammates in their 1-0 loss to Burkina Faso. Indeed, he was the first Mauritania player to create three chances in an Africa Cup of Nations match.
Match Preview
Few will have this Group D clash at Stade de la Paix down as a likely goal-fest. Mauritania and Angola do not exactly have a great history of finding the net at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Their only previous AFCON meeting was at the 2019 tournament, which finished 0-0 and featured just one shot on target (from Angola).
Mauritania have not scored in their last six AFCON outings, last registering a goal with a penalty from Moctar El Hacen against Mali in 2019. They have had 68 shots since then without scoring, with just seven of those efforts on target.
They suffered late heartbreak in their opening game of the 2023 tournament against Burkina Faso, conceding a 96th-minute penalty to Bertrand Traoré in a 1-0 defeat.
Captain Aly Abeid will again be key for them against Angola, though. He was top for both successful passes (21) and chances created (3) for Mauritania in their loss to Burkina Faso, and was the first Mauritanian player to create three chances in an Africa Cup of Nations match.
Angola aren’t much better in front of goal, scoring just seven goals in their last 10 group-stage games at the AFCON since the 2010 edition.
They did find the net in their first game, though, with Mabululu scoring from the penalty spot as Angola earned an impressive point in a 1-1 draw with Algeria. Baghdad Bounedjah had put the 2019 AFCON champions ahead but a resilient Angola fought back to draw.
Mauritania vs Angola Head-to-Head
As mentioned, Mauritania and Angola’s only previous encounter at the Africa Cup of Nations was in the group stage of the 2019 edition and ended goalless. Angola had the only shot on target, making it the lowest total of shots on target in a single game over the last three tournaments.
They also drew 0-0 last January at the African Nations Championship.
Angola have not beaten Mauritania in their last three meetings in all competitions (D2 L1), failing to score a single goal against the Lions of Chinguetti since a 4-1 win in AFCON 2019 qualifying.
Mauritania vs Angola Prediction
Perhaps because 0-0 seems to be such a likely score here, the Opta supercomputer has struggled to separate the two. Perhaps Angola’s impressive draw against Algeria is why they have been slightly favoured, with a 37% chance of victory. Mauritania are given a 36% likelihood of winning, leaving a 27% chance of a draw.
Our pre-tournament predictions gave both a just over 50% chance of advancing to the last 16, but Mauritania’s percentage almost halved after their agonising late loss to Burkina Faso.
Below are each team’s current, up-to-date chances of progression through AFCON 2023 according to the Opta supercomputer:
Mauritania vs Angola Squads
Mauritania: Namori Diaw, M’Backé N’Diaye, Babacar Niasse, Aly Abeid, Mohamed Dellahi, Lamine Ba, Khadim Diaw, Ibrahima Keita, Hassan Houbeib, Bakary N’Diaye, Nouh El Abd, Mouhsine Bodda, Sidi El Abd, Oumar Ngom, Omaré Gassama, Abdallahi Mahmoud, El Ba, Bakari Camara, Guessouma Fofana, Pape Bâ, Aboubakary Koïta, Sidi Amar, Souleymane Doukara, Hemeya Tanjy, Aboubakar Kamara, Souleymane Anne, Idrissa Thiam.
Coach: Amir Abdou
Angola: Neblú, Kadú, Gelson, António Signori, Eddie, Jonathan Buatu, Inácio Miguel, Tó Carneiro, Kialonda Gaspar, Kinito, Núrio Fortuna, Fredy, Bruno Paz, Manuel Keliano, Beni, Show, Estrela, Gelson Dala, Mabululu, Milson, Depú, Loide Augusto, Gilberto, Chico Banza, Jérémie Bela, Zine, Zito Luvumbo.
Coach: Pedro Gonçalves
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