By Joshua Kosimbom,
Journalist kick442.com – Cameroon
The second round of the group stage at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be remembered for its remarkable balance and growing tension around qualification. Twelve matches were played across the groups, producing 24 goals an average of two per game underlining a tournament shaped by caution, tactical maturity and the pressure of results rather than free-flowing attacking football.
One of the defining characteristics of the round was the sheer number of drawn matches. Six fixtures ended level, five of them finishing 1–1, a statistic that perfectly illustrates how closely matched the teams have been. Zambia and Comoros delivered the first goalless draw of the tournament, a contest defined by defensive discipline and calculated restraint, as both sides chose solidity over risk in order to protect their qualification hopes.
Despite the prevalence of draws, Round Two also produced historic breakthroughs. Benin reached a major milestone by securing their first-ever regulation-time victory at the AFCON finals, edging Botswana 1–0. That landmark win has placed the Guépards firmly in the race for the knockout stages and injected fresh belief into a squad now daring to dream of progression.
Mozambique provided the most emotional storyline of the round. Their dramatic 3–2 victory over Gabon marked the Mambas’ first-ever win in AFCON finals history, ending a long and painful continental drought. The result not only keeps Mozambique’s qualification hopes alive but also stands as a powerful symbol of persistence and growth, while Gabon’s elimination highlighted the unforgiving nature of the group stage.
In Group F, defending champions Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon played out a high-quality 1–1 draw in Marrakesh. The encounter blended tactical caution with moments of brilliance, notably from Amad Diallo and Junior Tchamadeu. With both sides now level on four points, qualification is well within reach, but neither can afford complacency as the final round promises decisive battles.
Algeria, meanwhile, became one of the most convincing sides of the tournament. A composed 1–0 victory over Burkina Faso, sealed by a Riyad Mahrez penalty, confirmed Les Fennecs’ place in the Round of 16 with a game to spare. Top of Group E on six points, Algeria have secured early qualification, while the battle behind them has intensified.
That battle was reignited by Sudan’s gritty 1–0 win over Equatorial Guinea in Casablanca. Built on defensive resilience and collective determination, the victory, Sudan’s first at the AFCON finals since 2012 blew Group E wide open. Sudan and Burkina Faso now head into a decisive final matchday locked in a direct fight for the second automatic qualification spot.
Round Two was not without controversy, as debates around refereeing decisions, particularly handball interpretations, dominated discussions in matches such as Egypt vs South Africa and Morocco vs Mali. With qualification margins so tight, these decisions have taken on even greater significance, reinforcing the sense that every detail matters at this stage of the competition.
As the tournament moves toward its final group matches, only a handful of teams have secured their passage to the knockout phase in Algeria, Egypt and Nigeria. For the rest, qualification remains delicately poised. AFCON 2025 has firmly entered its most dramatic phase, where history, heartbreak and hope will collide in the final push for a place in the Round of 16.
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