Sudan 2-2 Angola: Former Manchester Utd striker Manucho nets brace for Black Antelopes but Ahmed Bashir double ensures entertaining Group B draw

Angola remains top of African Cup of Nations Group B after playing out a 2-2 draw with Sudan at Estadio de Malabo on Thursday evening.

The encounter proved to be an even affair, with both sides creating their fair share of chances, but a brace each from Manucho and Ahmed Bashir meant that the spoils were shared.

The match commenced in bizarre fashion, with Angola starting the game with only 10 players due to Gilberto not being ready to take to the field. He eventually arrived after 70 seconds, and it took the Palancas Negras just five minutes to open the scoring through Manucho.

The match was just starting to settle when Sudan defender Najm Eldin Abdullah took a heavy touch at the back and allowed the former Manchester United striker to snatch the ball and drive forward before lashing a well-placed strike into the bottom left corner.

Sudan recovered from the setback well, however, and began to dictate the play in the final third, with Carlos Fernandes in the Angola goal being called into action on more than one occasion. The team came close to equalizing in the 17th minute when Muhannad Tahir rifled at shot towards the corner from 25 yards that was parried to the left by Fernandes.

The Falcons of Jediane continued to press forward, and were rewarded through a well-worked goal in the 32nd minute. Mudathir El Tahir took advantage of acres of space down the right wing to drive forward and whip an excellent cross into the box, where Ahmed Bashir shrugged off the challenge of two defenders to glance a header into the far corner.

The second half started in the same vein as the first period, with Angola grabbing another early goal. Porto striker Djalma Campos showed impressive trickery to cut inside from the left, only to be fouled by the trailing leg of Hamad Nizar. Manucho stepped up to expertly dispatch the penalty to the goalkeeper's bottom right, and restore his side's advantage.

The powerful forward was fortunate to avoid a straight red card for throwing an elbow toward Eldin inside the area, but the referee chose to take no action. Fernandes in the Angola goal was not so lucky, however, picking up a yellow card for time-wasting that rules him out of the Cote d'Ivoire match on Sunday.

However, to its credit, Sudan came back from behind once again, thanks to a gift from Jose Vunguidica. A high ball was tossed into the box and the Angola defender completely misjudged its flight, chesting it straight to Ahmed Bashir, who emphatically half-volleyed home from 10 yards to grab his second goal of the match.

Sudan hadn't tasted victory in an AFCON match since 1970, where it emerged victorious, but was unable to find a winning goal in the closing stages, and the points were shared.

Angola remains top of Group B with four points from two matches, and will face Cote d'Ivoire in its final match in the section. This result gives Sudan its first point in the group, and the team will face Burkina Faso on Sunday.