What You Need to Know
Sudan’s national football team revived its hopes of advancing in the Africa Cup of Nations by defeating Equatorial Guinea 1-0. This victory, achieved on Sunday at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, marks Sudan’s first win in the tournament since 2010, with a goal scored by Saul Koko in the 74th minute.
Africa. Sudan’s national football team revived its hopes of advancing in the Africa Cup of Nations by defeating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 on Sunday at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco, as part of the group stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The only goal of the match was scored by Saul Koko (74) who inadvertently put the ball into his own net.
Ghanaian coach James Kwesi Appiah praised his players’ performance and the importance of the victory, stating after the match, “It was a very difficult game, but we controlled the pace and worked hard to achieve this important win, which will boost our morale ahead of the next match against Burkina Faso.”
The “Crows of Jedian” now have three points, placing them third in the group, awaiting the second match between Algeria and Burkina Faso, both of whom also have three points. Meanwhile, the Equatorial Guinea team failed to earn any points, suffering their second consecutive loss.
This victory marks Sudan’s first win in their last nine matches in the continental tournament (four draws and four losses). It is also their first win since defeating Burkina Faso in the group stage in 2012.
Sudan, the runner-up in the 1959 and 1963 editions, achieved their first victory in three encounters against Equatorial Guinea after losing to them twice in the 2019 Africa Cup qualifiers. Neither team qualified for the tournament that year, as Senegal and Madagascar secured the group spots, with Equatorial Guinea winning 1-0 in Bata and 4-1 in the return match in Omdurman.
Despite Equatorial Guinea’s advantage in the match, neither team managed to threaten the goal, with attempts falling short of the target.
In the second half, Sudan improved their performance and began to threaten the Equatorial Guinean goal. Mohamed Eissa took a shot from inside the area that was cleared by defender Esteban Orozco before it could reach the net (56).
Eissa took a long free kick aimed at the goal, and substitute Luis Asui attempted to clear it, but it deflected off teammate Koko and rolled into the net (74).
Sudan then retreated to defend, and the Equatorial Guineans nearly equalized when Emilio Nsue shot from close range, but Mustafa Kershom cleared it off the goal line (90+3).
Sudan has a rich football history, having won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970 and finishing as runners-up in 1959 and 1963. However, the team has struggled in recent years, failing to qualify for the tournament in 2019 and experiencing a long winless streak in the competition. This recent victory against Equatorial Guinea is significant, as it not only breaks a nine-match winless run but also reignites hopes for the team’s future in the tournament. Sudan’s footballing legacy is marked by its passionate fan base and a strong desire to return to its former glory.
