Africa Cup of Nations: Sudan’s ‘Falcons of Jediane’ beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 after own goal

Sudanese national soccer team, the ‘Falcons of Jediane’, have revived their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations, currently being held in Morocco, with an important 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea on Sunday evening at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, as part of the second round of Group E.

The only goal of the match came in the 74th minute after an own goal by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Koko, who accidentally turned the ball into his own net, giving Sudan their first three points in the tournament. A free kick by Mohamed Eisa in the 74th minute was cleared by Equatorial Guinea’s Luis Asue but struck teammate Saul Coco and ricocheted back past the goalkeeper Jesus Owono.

With this victory, the national team has raised its tally to three points in third place in Group Five. Equatorial Guinea’s tally remained frozen at the bottom of the log with no points, while Sudan still has one match remaining against Burkina Faso.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Professor Ahmed Adam, congratulated the Sudanese people and the national team on Sunday’s victory. He described the win as well-deserved, coming at a sensitive time as the country suffers the ravages of war. He said the victory was achieved through the players’ determination and the support of the fans, and considered it the beginning of future victories.

Arab content creators and activists expressed their joy at the Sudanese national team’s victory over Equatorial Guinea in the match held on Sunday at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, as part of the second round of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Saudi activist Abdullah Al-Ayada shared a video of his reaction to the only goal of the match for the ‘Falcons of Jediane’ from the field, commenting on it: “Sudan’s goal that made the entire Arab nation happy.”

Egyptian sports activist Mamdouh Nasrallah congratulated Sudan humorously, saying in a video on his Instagram page, “You outshone the teams of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt. A thousand congratulations to our friends in Sudan and its people. By God, you deserve and are worthy of this joy, and may the joy be twofold and may you continue in the tournament.”

Another sports activist, Mohamed Awad wrote, “Sudan did it… and achieved victory. A very important victory,” noting that the victory kept Sudan’s chances alive in the race to advance to the second round with the best third-placed teams in the groups at worst.

Omani sports commentator Khalil Al-Balushi wrote: “Congratulations to the Sudanese national team, a precious and well-deserved victory over Equatorial Guinea with a clean goal, and a performance with a high fighting spirit that keeps hopes alive for qualifying for the round of 16.”

The Sudanese national team achieved remarkable distinction during the match, while its player Mohamed Issa won the award for best player in the match against Equatorial Guinea.