Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria: Nothing but pride on the line for Nzalang Nacional
by Thobelani Moyo | by Cydias Aujard
Equatorial Guinea have nothing but pride to play for
Equatorial Guinea came into this competition with modest expectations, meaning elimination from the group stages has certainly come as a disappointment.
The Central African nation are the only side in Group E that has yet to register a point. As things stand, they could conclude the group stage games of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations without a point to their name.
Their opponent in the final group stage game is Algeria. They have some fond memories when playing against this opponent, such as winning their last AFCON meeting 1-0 on January 16, 2022. However, a lot has changed since that triumph, and one will find that the quality and class of the North African nation have significantly improved.
A 1-0 defeat against Sudan in their recent fixture confirmed elimination from the group stages. They had every opportunity to keep their hopes of progressing beyond the group stages alive, but were wasteful in the final third despite their dominance in that match.
Check out Equatorial Guinea's stats against Sudan on matchday two:
| Equatorial Guinea | Stats | Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2.02 | Expected Goals (xG) | 0.72 |
| 66% | Ball Possession | 34% |
| 15 | Total shots | 13 |
| 3 | Shots on target | 2 |
| 3 | Big Chances | 1 |
| 3 | Corner Kicks | 3 |
| 83% (382/458) | Passes | 68% (153/224) |
| 3 | Yellow Cards | 3 |
As you can notice from the above stats, the Nzalang Nacional dominated all aspects of the game, but the lack of cutting edge in the final third turned out to be their undoing.
Algeria are out to maintain their winning streak
Algeria have definitely asserted their dominance in Group E of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The North African nation has won their opening two games, accumulating six points in the process.
Their success has been built on a solid defense and a potent offense. They have scored four goals and conceded none. Their most recent match was a 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso.
Riyad Mahrez, who recently made history in the opener against Sudan to become the all-time leading scorer in AFCON history, surpassing Lakhdar Belloumi, scored the only goal in that match as the team confirmed their spot in the Round of 16.
This is undeniably a great feeling for the Green Falcons, who failed to reach the knockout stages in the previous two editions. First in 2021 and recently in 2023. Of the 21 appearances they've made at this competition, this will be the 12th time that they've progressed beyond the group stages.
Victory here in their final group stage game will mark their third in a row. The last time they managed to achieve this feat was in 2019.
