Sudan vs Equatorial Guinea: Rare AFCON win boosts knockout hopes

CASABLANCA: Sudan kept their Africa Cup of Nations hopes alive with a rare 1-0 victory vs Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, a result that strengthened their chances of reaching the knockout stage.

The decisive moment came in the 74th minute in Casablanca when Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco scored an unfortunate own goal. The Torino centre-back saw the ball ricochet off him and into the net as teammate Luis Asue tried to clear a Sudan free-kick.

It was a significant result for Sudan, who won the AFCON in 1970 but have struggled to repeat that success in the decades since. This victory was only their second in 18 matches across six tournament appearances since that historic triumph.

Sudan, ranked 117th in the FIFA world rankings, overcame an Equatorial Guinea side ranked 97th and now sit on three points from two matches in Group E. Equatorial Guinea, meanwhile, have lost both of their group games and face early elimination.

The win also carries added weight given the difficult circumstances surrounding Sudan’s participation. The team is competing in Morocco despite the ongoing conflict at home, where fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has devastated the country since April 2023.

Coached by Kwesi Appiah, Sudan will face Burkina Faso in their final group match on Wednesday. They will be aiming to reach the AFCON knockout stages for just the second time since 1970, having last done so in 2012 when they reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions Zambia.