Angola’s Palancas Negras produced a stunning second-half comeback to overturn a two-goal deficit and beat Algeria 3-2 in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026. The result sends the 2024 runners-up into a second consecutive final.
Algeria, playing in their first semi-final at their first tournament, made life difficult for the Angolans. The spirited debutants went ahead through Mathieu Hammad and Ait Hamadouce, leaving the Palancas Negras with a mountain to climb.
Angola did not panic, Aderito Santos pulled one back to restore belief, and the momentum began to shift toward the side that had been here before.
Hornes Santo then drew Angola level five minutes from time, completing the recovery from 2-0 down. With extra time and penalties looming, Francisco Chico settled it two minutes from the end with a clever finish.
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For Hornes, the equalizer capped an emotional night. “First of all, I thank God for everything he has done in my life,” he told CAFOnline. “It was a wonderful feeling. I’m so happy, I can’t explain what I’m feeling right now.”
Asked what makes this Angolan side so hard to beat, he pointed to belief. “We never give up. We always believe. The game only finishes when the clock reaches zero, and if we have to go to penalties, we’ll believe, game by game.”
Angola now have a chance to go one better than their runners-up finish in 2024, when they lost the final to Morocco. For Hornes, this is the first final. “I’m here to become a champion,” he said. “I’m not here to visit Morocco, I’m here to compete. This is my time.”
Ait Hamadouche: “We lacked experience, but I am proud of the boys”
Meanwhile, Algeria’s Ait Hamadouche said he’s proud of his team despite losing the chance to reach the final.
The Algerian ace played a key role on the night at the Salle Moulay Abdellah in Rabat on Monday. Mathieu Hammad put the Fennecs ahead with a stunning free kick after nine minutes, and Ait Hamadouche doubled the lead on the stroke of halftime.
Speaking to CAFOnline after the match, he said the first half had gone as planned. “We had a good first half and took a 1-0 lead, but we knew our opponents well,” he said. “They are used to coming back from behind.”
That proved accurate as Angola returned from the break with renewed momentum, and Aderito Santos pulled one back from close range midway through the second period. Hornes Santo then levelled on 35 minutes, and Francisco Gabriel struck the winner two minutes from time.
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For Ait Hamadouche, the collapse came down to one factor. “I think we lacked experience,” he admitted. “Perhaps we could have done better, but overall, we still had a good tournament.”
There was disappointment in his words but also pride in what the squad has built. “I am proud of the boys. We have worked hard, and this is a first for us,” he said. “We are moving in the right direction, and the momentum is building.”
He also set out what must come next. “Now, we need to keep working hard so that we can compete with the top teams.”