Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan: Elimination Battle in Round 2

by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga

image Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan: Elimination Battle in Round 2
Get ready for fierce elimination battle action as Equatorial Guinea and Sudan fight to stay alive in the 2025 AFCON. Both nations are on the verge of exiting after losing to Burkina Faso and Algeria in Round 1, respectively. Another loss for either team will almost certainly mean death, so expect end-to-end action!

Last Minute Slip-ups Cost Equatorial Guinea Game 1

The National Thunder, who played one man down from the 50th minute, were on course to beat Burkina Faso through an 85th-minute goal from Marvin Anieboh in his very first touch of the game.

However, two goals for Burkina in the 95th and 98th minute undid all of Equatorial Guinea’s defensive efforts and denied them crucial points that could've very well secured a knockout spot early on. The AFCON betting odds pit Equatorial Guinea to finish third in Group E even before the tournament started.

Algeria and Burkina are already three points ahead, and are likely to pick up more points in Round 2 and 3. This means Equatorial Guinea's best bet might be a third-place qualification route.

However, Sudan stands in the way in Round 2. The last time they met was in the qualification stages of the 2018 AFCON, with Equatorial Guinea winning both games 5-1 on aggregate. See who our experts think will win seven years later in our Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan prediction.

Equatorial Guinea AFCON history

  • Appearances: 4 (prior to 2025)
  • Best finish: 4th
  • Quarter-finals: 3 (2012 and 2021)
  • RO16: 2023

Sudan Still Standing After 3-0 Algeria Thrashing

Although a loss was expected from Sudan against Algeria, the Falcons of Jediane remained bitter after a 39th-minute red card betrayed their strong first-half showing.

Sudan, despite being dominated in possession (61% to 39%), made the most attempts on goal by halftime, taking four shots and forcing two saves from Luca Zidane. But fewer numbers and more tired legs ultimately saw Sudan lose 3-0 by full time.

The takeaway, for Equatorial Guinea especially, is that Sudan is more than capable of causing an upset on Sunday. We've already seen the Falcons of Jediane beat DR Congo (1-0) and draw Senegal (0-0) as the heavy underdogs in the CAF WC qualifiers over the past year.

For the 1970 AFCON winners, a third-place qualification spot is still within reach. When the Falcons of Jediane thrive, it’s mostly due to the ability to keep the opposition desperately searching for a goal before launching lethal counters.

Whether that game plan works should mostly depend on the National Thunder’s ability to strike efficiently. But if Equatorial Guinea fails to bring their A-game, Sudan may very well walk away with a point (or three), setting us up for a very dramatic third round.

Sudan AFCON history

  • Appearances: 10 (prior to 2025)
  • Best finish: Champions in 1970
  • Semi-finals: 3 (1957, 1959, 1963)
  • Quarter-finals: 2 (1972 and 2012)