Cameroon and defending champions Côte d’Ivoire played out a thrilling 1-1 draw in their second Group F match at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Matchday Two of the group stage rolled on yesterday, with four matches across Groups E and F, as teams pushed to strengthen their knockout hopes.
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In Group E, Sudan faced Equatorial Guinea in a crucial encounter here in Casablanca, with both sides coming off opening defeats. With knockout hopes on the line, the stakes were high, and the atmosphere in the stands reflected it. Sudan edged a 1–0 victory, giving supporters back home something badly needed to celebrate.
Two Sudanese fans spoke to our microphone following the match:
"Our players did their best. They’re doing the best with the things that we have in our country. The mid-war we are going through".
"We from Sudan. We support our team Sudanese. We hope to make it to the final, semi-final. I mean we’re so proud of our team to be here in Morocco. And I hope to reach the final".
Elsewhere in Group E, Algeria beat Burkina Faso to secure top spot and confirm their place in the knockout rounds.
Algeria tops Group E with six points, while Burkina Faso remains second, tied with Sudan, who earlier defeated Equatorial Guinea 1-0. Algeria now faces Equatorial Guinea in their final group match, while Burkina Faso meets Sudan in a decisive clash on New Year’s Eve.
In Group F, one of the tournament’s most anticipated clashes saw Côte d’Ivoire face Cameroon. The heavyweight encounter lived up to its hype, with both sides fighting out a 1–1 draw.
The final day of the group stage begins this Monday, with the following schedule:
- Zimbabwe-South Africa
- Angola-Egypt
- Zambia-Morocco
- Comoros-Mali