Falcons of Jediane Refuse to Bow Out After AFCON Lifeline Win

By Boris Esono

Sportswriter, Kick442.com-Cameroon

• This is the first victory for Sudan at the AFCON finals since 2012

• Sudan’s final group clash will come up on December 31 against Burkina Faso, with everything to play for

• The defeat leaves the National Thunder’s campaign hanging by a thread

Sudan’s Falcons of Jediane reignited their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea at the Stade Mohamed V, keeping alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage of the tournament.

Knowing that defeat would have brought an early end to their campaign, the Sudanese side showed determination to grind out a crucial result against an Equatorial Guinea team also desperate for points. The win was Sudan’s first of the tournament and a rare success at AFCON in recent decades, lifting them to three points after two Group E matches.

Sudan came into the encounter under pressure following defeat to Algeria on Matchday one, a result that extended their winless run at the Africa Cup of Nations to eight matches, comprising four draws and four losses. That poor run threatened to weigh heavily on Kwesi Appiah’s men, but they responded with one of their most disciplined performances in years.

The Falcons made an encouraging start and nearly took an early lead in the fourth minute when Eisa reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the box. However, his close-range stab went wide, allowing Equatorial Guinea to escape an early setback.

Despite Sudan’s urgency, clear chances were limited in a tight first half, with both teams struggling to impose a consistent attacking rhythm. Equatorial Guinea’s most dangerous moments came through experienced midfielder Pedro Obiang. The former West Ham and Sassuolo player squandered a golden opportunity when he miscued his shot in front of goal, and then, on the stroke of halftime, headed onto the roof of the net with Sudan goalkeeper Monged Elneel caught out of position.

There was concern for Sudan midway through the first half when Elneel suffered a knock to the head and required lengthy medical attention for a suspected concussion. After treatment, the goalkeeper was deemed fit to continue, a boost for Sudan as the game entered a tense second half.

Sudan continued to press after the break and came agonisingly close to scoring in the 60th minute. The decisive moment arrived in the 74th minute in unfortunate fashion for the National Thunder. A dangerous delivery into the box confused Equatorial Guinea’s defence, and Torino centre-back Saúl Basilio Coco-Bassey Oubiña inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, handing Sudan the breakthrough they had been pushing for.

Despite pushing forward in search of an equaliser, Equatorial Guinea was unable to find a way past a resolute Sudan defence, which held firm to secure all three points.

The victory was significant for Sudan, which lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in 1970 but has struggled to replicate that success since. Remarkably, this was just their second win in 18 AFCON matches across six tournament appearances since that historic triumph. The result leaves Appiah’s side with three points from two games in Group E and firmly back in contention for a place in the knockout rounds.

Sudan now turns its attention to their final group match against Burkina Faso on Wednesday, where another positive result could see it reach the knockout stage for only the second time since its title-winning campaign more than five decades ago. Their only other deep run came in 2012, when they reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champions Zambia.

For Equatorial Guinea, the defeat leaves their campaign hanging by a thread. Having already suffered a loss to Burkina Faso in their opener, the National Thunder remains without a point after two matches. They now face a daunting final group fixture against Algeria’s Les Fennecs in Rabat, also on Wednesday.

To have a realistic chance of progressing as one of the best third-placed teams, Equatorial Guinea must pull off a major upset against Algeria. Failure to do so would see their AFCON journey come to an abrupt end, despite flashes of promise in their performances.