 Figueiredo scored Angola's all-important equaliser |
Angola drew 1-1 with Nigeria in Saturday's key Group Four qualifier in Kano to give a major boost to their quest to reach their first ever World Cup finals.
The result leaves both teams on fifteen points but Angola, who beat Nigeria at home last year, go top courtesy of a superior head-to-head record.
On Sunday, Zimbabwe boosted their own chances of reaching only their second Nations Cup finals when drawing 2-2 against Algeria in Oran.
The Algerians twice went ahead, first through Nasreddine Kraouche in the 17th minute only for Shingirai Kawondera to level the scores for Zimbabwe before the break.
Three minutes into the second half, defender Nadir Belhadj restored the home side's lead but Peter Ndlovu played a captain's role for Zimbabwe as he fired home off the post for an 87th-minute equaliser.
Zimbabwe will reach Egypt 2006 if they beat Rwanda, who lost 3-0 in Gabon on Saturday, at home in their next qualifier in September.
In Kano on Saturday, Nigeria opened the scoring when captain Jay-Jay Okocha, with much to prove after inexplicably missing the 1-1 draw in Rwanda earlier this month, curled home a free-kick after five minutes.
Yet Paulo Figueiredo struck Angola's equaliser just after the hourmark to silence Kano's Sani Abacha stadium.
The first half was one with few chances but towards its end, Nigeria's Yakubu Ayegbeni and Okocha both had shots blocked by the Angolan defence.
In the second half, the Angolans began to dominate the game whereupon the home fans vocally expressed their dissatisfaction with their home team.
Yakubu, who had also missed the Rwanda clash in unclear circumstances, was regularly booed and the fans' anger only increased when Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu replaced Stephen Makinwa, and not the Middlesbrough forward, with Nwankwo Kanu in the second half.
After the break, Angola put the home side under serious pressure which was rewarded when Figueiredo's fierce shot squirmed past Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to level the scores.
With time running out, Nigeria missed a host of opportunities, notably when Kevin Amuneke fired wide in the dying minutes with the goal at his mercy.
As the final whistle sounded, the visiting Angolan players danced across the pitch with glee.
The Palancas Negras need only beat Gabon at home and Rwanda away in their final two Group Four games to qualify for their first ever World Cup finals.
In the other game in the group, Gabon beat Rwanda 3-0 in Libreville and so ended the visitors' already-slender hopes of reaching the Nations Cup finals.
Alain Tissikadie opened the scoring for the Gabonese eleven minutes into the first half, before Londo Dieudonne doubled that lead after 56 minutes and Nguema Zue wrapped up the scoring three minutes later.
MMIX
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We still have two games to play. We will still qualify by God's grace