Preview: Nzalang Nacional and Sudan face a must-win AFCON tie

Equatorial Guinea and Sudan meet in a pivotal Group E fixture where a victory is essential for either side to maintain hope of reaching the AFCON knockout stages.

Equatorial Guinea and Sudan prepare for a high-stakes encounter at Stade Mohamed V this Sunday, with both nations desperate to revive their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaigns.

Sitting at the bottom of Group E after opening-day defeats, neither side can afford another loss.

Equatorial Guinea enters as the favorite, ranked 20 places higher by FIFA and boasting a superior recent head-to-head record against their East African opponents.

The “Nzalang Nacional” are looking to move past a heartbreaking collapse against Burkina Faso, where they conceded two stoppage-time goals to lose 2-1.

Despite the result, manager Juan Micha remained upbeat in his post-match press conference, though he must now navigate the absence of suspended left-back Basilio Ndong.

Marvin Anieboh, who scored shortly after coming off the bench in the opener, is expected to be rewarded with a place in the starting lineup.

Sudan’s “Falcons of Jediane” face an uphill battle following a demoralizing 3-0 loss to Algeria. James Kwesi Appiah’s squad struggled significantly after Salaheldin Adil’s first-half dismissal and has now failed to win in their last four outings.

Compounding their issues is an injury cloud over key players Abo Eisa and Abuaagla Abdalla, though both are currently expected to be passed fit for this critical survival match in Casablanca.

With only one game remaining after today, the tactical stakes are high. Equatorial Guinea is expected to lean on their historical scoring prowess, having netted nine goals in the previous tournament, while Sudan must find a way to end their goal drought.

Analysts predict a cagey, defensive affair where a single goal could decide the fate of both teams’ tournament aspirations before the final round of group fixtures on Wednesday.