Angola triumph and Zambia held

Angola won and Zambia drew at the weekend in warm-up friendlies ahead of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations kick-off next Saturday.

The Black Antelopes of Angola triumphed 3-1 over Sierra Leone in northern enclave Cabinda while the Copper Bullets of Zambia were held 0-0 by Namibia in Johannesburg, where they have been camping.

Former Manchester United striker 'Manucho', Mateus Galiano and Flavio Amado were on target for the Angolans at Chiazi Stadium while Desmond Wellington struck for the Leone Stars.

'Manucho' and Wellington traded early first-half goals, Galiano put the home side ahead a second time before half-time and veteran Belgium-based striker Flavio sealed the outcome 14 minutes from time.

Angola defeated Zambia and drew with Cameroon, Namibia and Nigeria in other warm-up games ahead of the three-week African football showpiece in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Zambia were held by Namibia just three days after a 1-1 draw with a South Africa B team at the same venue, and the boasts of French coach Herve Renard that his team can lift the Cup of Nations are ringing hollow at the moment.

The Bullets were sharper during the opening half at Rand Stadium and captain and middfielder Christopher Katongo broke through only to be thwarted by goalkeeper Ephraim Tjihonge.

Namibia, whose hopes of a late Cup of Nations inclusion at the expense of Burkina Faso were dashed when they lost a three-round legal battle, improved after half-time and Larry Horaeb rattled the crossbar.

Cup of Nations runners-up in 1974 and 1994, Zambia battled to break through and resorted to long-range shooting which seldom troubled opponents preparing for a 2013 African qualifier against Liberia next month.

Angola and Zambia are based in Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich central African state of less than one million people, for the mini-league first phase of the competition.

Zambia are in Group A with Equatorial Guinea, Libya and tournament 'dark horses' Senegal while Angola face co-favourites Ivory Coast in Group B and Burkina Faso and Sudan.

Equatorial Guinea and Libya came from behind to draw 1-1 against club sides Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon and Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan respectively with Javier Balbao and Djamel Abdallah scoring for the Cup hopefuls.

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