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Alain Traore (right) equalised for Burkina Faso with a fine free-kick

Manucho's strike earned Angola victory over Burkina Faso in their Group B opener at the Africa Cup of Nations.

After an uneventful first period, Angola took the lead when Mateus took advantage of poor defending to slam a shot in the bottom corner.

Alain Traore then equalised with a curling free-kick from 25 yards.

But former Manchester United striker Manucho nipped in to dispossess the Burkina Faso defence and smashed a left-footed shot in from 20 yards.

The goal from the 28-year-old, who also had a loan spell at Hull City, puts the Palancas Negras top of Group B after Ivory Coast beat Sudan 1-0 earlier on Sunday.

Burkina Faso only had their place in the tournament confirmed on 10 January after claims from Namibia that they fielded an ineligible player in qualifying.

Yet despite the defeat they will be content that they have at least scored, having failed to do so in four of their last five tournaments.

They will be less than pleased with the defending by Bakary Kone in the build-up to Mateus's opener when the Burkinabe defender decided to juggle the ball in his own box after a cross from the left, before losing it.

The Angolan latched onto the Lyon player's poor clearance, cut inside from the right and buried the ball in the far corner on 48 minutes.

Angola's keeper Daouda Diakite was perhaps at fault 11 minutes later, when Auxerre forward Traore struck a superb set-piece ball into the same side of the goal where he was standing.

But that was soon forgotten when Manucho picked the pockets of an unaware Burkinabe defence to find the corner of the net from outside the box.

The Stallions skipper Moumouni Dagano had chances to draw level late on but his best opportunity from a header was straight at the Angolan keeper.