Africa Cup Of Nations | Wednesday December 24 | Group E
- Algeria 3-0 Sudan
- Burkina Faso 2-1 Equatorial Guinea
Group E served up early drama at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday, with Sudan and Equatorial Guinea undone by red cards and late twists that left both sides chasing from the start.
At the Complexe Sportif Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan, Sudan barely had time to settle before Algeria struck.
Inside two minutes, Riyad Mahrez curled a calm finish into the bottom corner after being picked out by Hicham Boudaoui, setting the tone for a long night.
Sudan’s situation worsened just before halftime when Salaheldin Al Hassan was sent off for a second booking.
Salaheldin Al Hassan after he was shown Red.
Down to 10 men, they struggled to contain an Algeria side happy to wait for openings. Just after the hour, Mahrez struck again, meeting a clever Amoura pass with a simple finish to double the lead.
Algeria wrapped it up late on when Ibrahim Maza added a third, his effort squeezing past the goalkeeper to seal a comfortable 3–0 win and a perfect start for the Desert Foxes.
Earlier in Casablanca, Equatorial Guinea endured their own heartbreak at the Stade Mohammed V, losing 2–1 to Burkina Faso after leading deep into stoppage time.
Their problems began early, with Basilo Ndong sent off following a VAR review just five minutes into the match.
Burkina Faso controlled much of the game but struggled to find a breakthrough. Several chances came and went, and even a well taken volley from Lassina Traoré was ruled out for offside.
Against the odds, Equatorial Guinea took the lead in the 85th minute when Marvin Anieboh headed home from a Carlos Akapo corner.
The joy was short lived. Georgi Minoungou equalised in stoppage time, and moments later Edmond Tapsoba completed the turnaround, firing in the winner to hand Burkina Faso a deserved victory.
Georgi Minoungou.
Group E will return on Sunday December 28, with Algeria taking on Burkina Faso at 19:30 right after Equatorial Guinea battles Sudan at 17:00
Current Standings | Group E
