Algeria beat Equatorial Guinea with a much-changed workforce of their last group sport on the Africa Cup of Nations. Picture: AFP
RABAT:
Sudan should face 2022 champions Senegal within the final 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations after dropping 2-0 to Burkina Faso of their last group sport on Wednesday, whereas Algeria beat Equatorial Guinea 3-1 on the identical time.
Lassina Traore’s early strike put Burkina Faso forward on the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, earlier than Algozoli Nooh missed a penalty for Sudan.
Arsene Kouassi, of French Ligue 1 facet Lorient, sealed Burkina Faso’s win late on.
Each groups had already certified for the knockout stage from Group E behind Algeria. Burkina Faso merely wanted to keep away from defeat to advance in second place.
The 2013 runners-up will go to Marrakesh for a last-16 tie towards the winners of Group F, which concludes later Wednesday with reigning champions Ivory Coast vying for prime spot alongside Cameroon and Mozambique.
It was Sudan’s second defeat in three outings, however a 1-0 victory towards Equatorial Guinea was sufficient for them to advance as a greatest third-placed facet.
“Burkina has an excellent workforce. Most of their gamers are enjoying in prime European sides so mechanically if you play towards them it’s not going to be a simple experience,” mentioned Sudan coach Kwesi Appiah.
Ranked 117th on the earth, Sudan have gained simply two of 19 matches throughout six appearances on the Cup of Nations since lifting the trophy in 1970.
That is simply their second look within the knockout phases since then and it will be an enormous shock in the event that they defeated Sadio Mane’s Senegal in Tangier on Saturday.
Nonetheless, getting up to now is a serious achievement for a rustic which has been ravaged by struggle since preventing broke out between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Speedy Help Forces in April 2023.
“It’s good for everybody in Sudan and it is usually good for the gamers as it’s as much as them to show that they will play towards a workforce like Senegal,” added Appiah.
“Senegal is an enormous soccer nation and we are going to you should definitely play an excellent sport.”
Shakhtar Donetsk ahead Traore headed in from Stephane Aziz Ki’s chipped cross on 16 minutes to open the scoring for a Burkina Faso facet displaying seven adjustments from their final match.
one hundred pc report
Sudan have been awarded a penalty halfway by means of the primary half to the delight of their followers, who made up nearly all of the ten,084 crowd.
Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi, who was battling an harm, clumsily rushed out and introduced down Algozoli.
The Sudan winger acquired up however solely succeeded in placing the spot-kick vast of the left-hand put up.
The injured Koffi was substituted at half-time however substitute goalkeeper Kilian Nikiema was not often troubled and Kouassi broke into the world to make it 2-0 for Burkina Faso on 85 minutes.
In the meantime, Algeria accomplished the group stage with an ideal report because the two-time former champions eased previous Equatorial Guinea in Rabat.
With Algeria already by means of as Group E winners and Equatorial Guinea eradicated, nothing was driving on the sport in Morocco’s capital.
Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic made 9 adjustments to his beginning line-up, with a last-16 tie to return towards the Democratic Republic of Congo subsequent Tuesday.
Regardless of the adjustments, Algeria ran away with the sport, scoring 3 times in 14 first-half minutes.
Defender Zineddine Belaid headed within the opener from a nook on 19 minutes, earlier than Ibrahim Maza launched Fares Chaibi to make it 2-0.
The spectacular Maza, of Bayer Leverkusen, then headed in his workforce’s third, with Emilio Nsue, prime scorer on the final AFCON, pulling one again for Equatorial Guinea.
