Veteran French coach Jean Louis Gasset, who was fired at the last Africa Cup of Nations by Ivory Coast before they went on to win the trophy, has died aged 72, his former French club Montpellier announced on Friday.

Hosts Ivory Coast were sensationally beaten 4-0 by minnows Equatorial Guinea in their last group game at the 2023 edition in the biggest upset in tournament history, finishing third in their group.

Gasset was dismissed after the shock defeat but the Ivorians earned a reprieve as one of the best third placed finishers to qualify for the knockout rounds and eventually won the title under Gasset’s assistant Emerse Fae.

One month after returning to France, Gasset was appointed coach at Olympique de Marseille but stayed for only four months.

He went back to Montpellier last season but when they were headed for relegation, he was sacked in April.

Gasset spent most of his playing career at Montpellier, where his father had been one of the club founders.

The cause of death was not given.

Reuters

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Angola and Zimbabwe each earned their first point at the Africa Cup of Nations following a 1-1 draw on Friday but the result leaves both facing early elimination.

They both lost their opening Group B clashes and are now left with difficult assignments in their last matches next week which they will effectively need to win if they are to progress.

Angola went ahead in the 24th minute when To Carneiro’s chipped pass fell perfectly for striker Gelson Dala, who ran onto it and squeezed the ball in at the near post as Zimbabwe’s defence proved too slow in closing down.

There was a lengthy delay soon after as Angola goalkeeper Hugo Marques suffered a cut above his eye after a clash of heads with Zimbabwe’s Divine Lunga.

He was bandaged up and continued but in the sixth minute of stoppage time at the end of the first, he was beaten as Zimbabwe’s veteran striker Knowledge Musona equalised.

It came at the end of a quick counterattack with a long ball from defence cleared to Bill Antonio, who hit a cross-field pass for Musona to finish.

Angola defender David Carmo cleared off the line twice in the space of a minute on the cusp of the final 10 minutes, first when Zimbabwe substitute Tawanda Chirewa had his shot stopped by Hugo Marques, with the ball spinning back towards goal before being cleared.

From the resultant corner, Carmo was there again to deny Gerald Takwara at the back post with a timely interception.

Angola now go up against group’s top seeds, Egypt, in Agadir on Monday, while Zimbabwe take on neighbours South Africa in Marrakech at the same time.

South Africa beat Angola 2-1 in their opening game before Egypt came from behind to beat Zimbabwe 2-1 on Monday

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Second matchday, and already a sense of judgment — with history added to the stakes.

Angola and Zimbabwe will contest the first-ever Africa Cup of Nations match to be played on Boxing Day when they meet on Friday at the Grand Stade de Marrakech, in what has quickly assumed the character of an early knockout encounter at the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.

Both sides arrive bruised by opening-day defeats and acutely aware that another setback could leave qualification hopes hanging by a thread. In a tightly balanced group where margins are minimal, the festive-date fixture carries uncommon weight for such an early stage of the competition.

Angola seek conversion, not revolution

From the Angolan camp, frustration rather than panic defines the mood. The Palancas Negras dominated long stretches of their opening match, created clear chances, yet walked away empty-handed — a disconnect between performance and result that still lingers.

Head coach Patrice Beaumelle has ruled out wholesale changes, opting instead for continuity and sharper execution.

“We faced a solid team and showed good things,” Beaumelle said. “At this level, mistakes are punished immediately.”
For Angola, the task is now to turn intention into efficiency, balancing urgency with composure as pressure inevitably rises.

Defensive leader Jonathan Buatu echoed that measured approach, stressing that confidence remains intact. “We played against a very good team, unbeaten for a long time. That shows our performance was not poor. Now the important thing is to keep what we did well and correct our mistakes,” he said.

Zimbabwe fight with backs to the wall

Zimbabwe approach the Boxing Day showdown with equal urgency, but also renewed belief. Cruelly beaten in the closing minutes of their opening match, the Warriors nonetheless displayed organisation, pace and intensity capable of unsettling opponents.

Head coach Marian Marinica insists the setback must not derail their identity. “In this group, all teams still have a chance. The past is behind us; we must look forward,” he said, acknowledging the emotional control required in a match where “one of the two teams will have to give way.”

Captain Marvelous Nakamba reinforced that message from within the squad. “We are training well, we have analysed our first match, and now everything is focused on this game. We want to give everything and get a positive result,” the midfielder said.

History and urgency collide

Beyond its Boxing Day novelty, the fixture carries a familiar competitive edge. Angola and Zimbabwe have met four times in AFCON qualifiers — in 1998 and 2013 — with Angola advancing on each occasion. They also crossed paths in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, winning their respective home matches before Angola ultimately secured a place at the finals in Germany.

Across their last four meetings, Angola hold the advantage with three wins to Zimbabwe’s one, though it was the Warriors who claimed the very first encounter in a 3–2 friendly victory back in 1985.

On a day traditionally reserved for celebration, there will be little room for comfort in Marrakech. For Angola and Zimbabwe, this historic Boxing Day clash is less about festivities — and more about survival.

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