Sudan lose to Burkina Faso as Algeria win again at AFCON 2025

Burkina Faso ‌book 2nd spot successful Group E astatine ‍the Africa ‍Cup of Nations with a 2-0 triumph implicit Sudan.

Sudan indispensable look 2022 champions Senegal successful the past 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations aft losing 2-0 to Burkina Faso successful their last radical game, portion Algeria bushed Equatorial Guinea 3-1.

Lassina Traore’s aboriginal onslaught enactment Burkina Faso up astatine the Mohammed V Stadium successful Casablanca connected Wednesday, earlier Algozoli Nooh squandered the accidental to equalise for Sudan erstwhile helium enactment a punishment wide.

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Arsene Kouassi, of French Ligue 1 broadside Lorient, sealed Burkina Faso’s triumph precocious on.

Both teams had already qualified for the knockout signifier from Group E down Algeria. Burkina Faso simply needed to debar decision successful bid to beforehand successful 2nd place.

The 2013 runners-up volition spell to Marrakesh for a last-16 necktie against the winners of Group F, which concludes aboriginal connected Wednesday with reigning champions Ivory Coast vying for apical spot alongside Cameroon and Mozambique.

It was Sudan’s 2nd decision successful 3 outings, but a 1-0 triumph against Equatorial Guinea was capable for them to beforehand arsenic 1 of the champion third-placed sides.

Ranked 117th successful the world, Sudan person won conscionable 2 of 19 matches crossed six appearances astatine the Cup of Nations since lifting the trophy successful 1970.

This is conscionable their 2nd quality successful the knockout stages since then, and it would beryllium a immense astonishment if they got the amended of Sadio Mane’s Senegal successful Tangier connected Saturday.

However, getting truthful acold is simply a large accomplishment for a state which has been ravaged by war since warring broke retired betwixt Sudan’s service and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces successful April 2023.

Shakhtar Donetsk guardant Traore headed successful from Stephane Aziz Ki’s chipped transverse connected 16 minutes to unfastened the scoring for a Burkina Faso broadside showing 7 changes from their past game.

Sudan were awarded a punishment midway done the archetypal fractional to the delight of their fans, who made up the bulk of the 10,084 crowd.

Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi, who was struggling with an injury, clumsily rushed retired and brought down Algozoli.

The Sudan winger got up but lone succeeded successful putting the spot-kick wide of the left-hand post.

The injured Koffi was substituted astatine half-time, but replacement goalkeeper Kilian Nikiema was seldom troubled, and Kouassi broke into the country to marque it 2-0 for Burkina Faso connected 85 minutes.

Meanwhile, Algeria completed the radical signifier with a cleanable grounds arsenic the two-time erstwhile champions eased past Equatorial Guinea successful Rabat.

With Algeria already done arsenic Group E winners and Equatorial Guinea eliminated, thing was riding connected the crippled successful Morocco’s capital.

Algeria manager Vladimir Petkovic made 9 changes to his starting lineup, with a last-16 necktie to travel against the Democratic Republic of Congo adjacent Tuesday.

Despite the changes, Algeria ran distant with the game, scoring 3 times successful 14 first-half minutes.

Defender Zineddine Belaid headed successful the opener from a country connected 19 minutes, earlier Ibrahim Maza released Fares Chaibi to marque it 2-0.

The awesome Maza, of Bayer Leverkusen, past headed successful his team’s third, with Emilio Nsue pulling 1 backmost for Equatorial Guinea.

It was Nsue’s archetypal ineligible commencement astatine the Africa Cup of Nations aft an 11-year ineligible vocation with Equatorial Guinea.

The 35-year-old Nsue was the apical scorer with 5 goals astatine the past variation of the tournament, but FIFA successful 2024 ruled that helium was ne'er eligible to play for Equatorial Guinea, and it banned him from playing for the nationalist squad for six months.

Nsue was yet cleared to play successful March this year.

He had an wounded going to the Africa Cup and missed his team’s opening 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Burkina Faso earlier coming connected arsenic a substitute successful the 1-0 decision to Sudan. He made his archetypal commencement against Algeria connected Wednesday and scored from a hard space to propulsion a extremity back.

It was definite to beryllium Nsue’s past quality astatine this variation – Equatorial Guinea were already assured of finishing bottommost of Group E earlier the game.