Burkina Faso have booked their place in the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations with a decisive 2-0 victory over Sudan in their final Group E match in Casablanca.
Traoré and Kouassi Seal the Deal
The Stallions took control of the match early on, with striker Lassina Traoré breaking the deadlock after just 16 minutes. He rose highest to meet a perfectly floated cross from Stephane Aziz Ki, directing a powerful header into the far corner of the net.
Sudan were handed a golden opportunity to equalise when Burkina Faso goalkeeper Hervé Koffi brought down Al-Jezoli Nouh inside the penalty area. However, the resulting spot-kick was dragged wide of the post, a costly miss for the underdogs.
Burkina Faso capitalised on that reprieve and put the game beyond doubt in the second half. Arsène Kouassi made sure of the three points, latching onto a through ball from Dango Ouattara and coolly slotting home from 15 yards out.
Group E Final Standings and Knockout Fate
The result means Burkina Faso finish second in Group E with six points from their three matches. They now await the winner of Group F—either Cameroon, Mozambique, or defending champions Côte d'Ivoire—whom they will face in a last-16 tie in Marrakech on Tuesday.
Despite the defeat, Sudan also progressed to the next round as one of the tournament's four best third-placed teams. Their reward is a daunting clash against the 2021 champions, Senegal, scheduled for Saturday in Tangier.
Algeria March On With Perfect Record
Elsewhere in the group, Algeria confirmed their status as one of the competition favourites by completing a perfect group stage. Already assured of top spot, a much-changed side defeated Equatorial Guinea 3-1 at the Stade Moula El Hassan.
First-half goals from Zineddine Belaïd, Farès Chaïbi and Ibrahim Maza secured a comfortable win. Equatorial Guinea's veteran forward Emilio Nsue scored a consolation after the break, but his side finished bottom of the group with zero points.
Algeria, with nine points, will now meet the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 16.
The group stage concludes later on New Year's Eve with the final matches in Group F, where Gabon take on Côte d'Ivoire and Mozambique play Cameroon.
