TAMALE - Angola moved to the brink of qualification for the African Nations Cup quarter-finals on Sunday with a convincing win over Senegal.
Abdoulaye Faye opened the scoring for the Teranga Lions after 20 minutes, but a superb second-half recovery saw Manucho Goncalves net two goals and Flavio Amado add a third as the Southern Africans took charge of Group D.
Luis Goncalves' team started strongly and created the first chance as Manucho's looping header from the edge of the penalty area almost caught out Tony Sylva, who had to backtrack before catching the ball.
El-Hadji Diouf should have done better with a left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area that flew narrowly over the bar shortly afterwards.
A nervous Sylva then made a hash of a routine catch from a corner, but his defence managed to help him clear the danger.
Senegal then went up the other end and took the lead.
Diouf's free-kick from the left was excellently headed back across the face of goal by Souleymane Diawara for Faye to nod the ball home.
Five minutes later, Frederic Mendy missed a good chance after Habib Beye fizzed a cross in from the right, but the ball was too quick for the defender and he mis-hit the shot.
Shortly before the break, Mendy darted down the left and swept a fantastic pass into the centre of the penalty area which caused some panic before it was eventually cleared as Senegal looked to double their advantage.
The Teranga Lions again threatened in first-half stoppage time when Diomansy Kamara almost capitalised on a Yamba Asha error, but his shot was too weak and easily gathered by Joao Lama as Henryk Kasperczak's team ended the half in the ascendancy.
The Palancas Negras looked to have had a stern half-time talk from Luis Goncalves, and within five minutes of the restart they were level as Manucho powerfully nodded home from close range after a fine run and cross from Batista Ze Kalanga.
Senegal hit back when Kamara threaded a pass through to Diouf, who laid the ball on for Mamadou Niang, but he wastefully put his shot into the crowd shortly before the hour mark.
Marseille striker Niang was again guilty of wasting a chance soon afterwards when he slid in too late to connect with a dangerous ball across the face of goal from Bolton frontman Diouf.
Kamara was next to come close, firing a low left-footed shot inches wide from 30 yards before a cracking 35-yard strike at the other end from Norberto Maurito on the left wing was tipped over by Sylva.
The shot seemed to shake up Senegal and their opponents made good use of the pressure when Sylva made a hash of a corner and Manucho was alert to scramble the ball home from close range in the 67th minute.
Flavio secured the points 12 minutes from time when he found himself completely unmarked in the penalty area and headed home Asha's pin-point cross from the left to complete a fine win.
