Sudan edge closer to AFCON last-16 after own goal sinks Equatorial Guinea
Sudan strengthened their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations following a Saul Coco own goal that secured a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.
The unfortunate Torino defender inadvertently redirected the ball into his own net in the 74th minute in Casablanca after his teammate Luis Asue failed to properly clear a Sudan free-kick.
This marks only Sudan’s second victory in 18 matches across six AFCON tournaments since their maiden triumph in 1970. The team currently sits 117th in the FIFA world rankings, while Equatorial Guinea are 97th.
The win gives Kwesi Appiah’s squad three points from two games in Group E, while Equatorial Guinea remain without a point.
Sudan are competing at this year’s AFCON in Morocco, despite the country facing major turmoil since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Their final group match against Burkina Faso on Wednesday will determine whether they reach the last-16 stage, an achievement they have managed only once since their 1970 victory, making it to the quarter-finals in 2012 before falling to eventual champions Zambia.
