AFCON 2025: Sudan Defy The Odds With Narrow Win Over Equatorial Guinea

In a stunning display of efficiency, Sudan secured an unexpected 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea.

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This high-stakes win keeps their dreams alive of reaching the Africa Cup of Nations knockout rounds—a feat they have achieved only once since 1970.

Both teams entered the match under pressure following losses in their opening fixtures. While Equatorial Guinea controlled the early stages, they failed to capitalize on two significant scoring opportunities within the first 25 minutes.

The most notable miss came from former West Ham midfielder Pedro Obiang, who sent a rebound over the crossbar after a defensive error left him with a difficult, reaching shot at an open goal.

A significant delay in the first half led to a large amount of added time, yet neither team could break the deadlock. Despite their early control of the game, Equatorial Guinea (the National Thunder) failed to convert their dominance into goals. The mounting tension resulted in three yellow cards before the break, though the increased aggression didn’t translate into better play.

The second half showed no shortage of effort, even if clinical finishing remained elusive. Equatorial Guinea nearly opened the scoring through a fast-paced counter-attack when substitute José Nabil narrowly missed the target. Sudan responded with their own surge of energy around the 60-minute mark, nearly taking the lead through Mohamed Eisa, whose shot was only denied by an impressive goal-line clearance from Esteban Orozco.

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Although they spent much of the match under pressure, Sudan stayed resilient and secured an unexpected lead in the 74th minute. A dangerous free-kick took a cruel deflection off Saúl Coco, leaving the defender devastated as the ball found the net. James Kwesi’s squad nearly doubled their advantage shortly after when Yasir Mozamil’s cross just missed being converted at the far post.

Sudan successfully defended their lead to the end, securing a massive upset for the world’s 117th-ranked team. The win breathes new life into their qualification campaign following an initial loss to Algeria.

Conversely, it was a night of missed opportunities for Equatorial Guinea; despite controlling the game, they now face the daunting task of needing a win against group favorites Algeria to keep their tournament hopes alive

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