AFCON 2025: Kwesi Appiah Masterminds Historic Win for Sudan Over Equatorial Guinea
- Sudan reignited their AFCON 2025 campaign with a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea, bouncing back from their heavy opening-day defeat to Algeria
- Coached by Ghanaian tactician Kwesi Appiah, the 1970 African champions recorded their first win at Africa’s flagship tournament since 2012
- The result lifts Sudan into third place in the group, and anything other than defeat in their final group fixture would secure them a place in the knockout stage
- A CAF-accredited journalist praised the 65-year-old for leading the Falcons of Jediane to victory
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Coach James Kwesi Appiah etched his name into Sudanese football history on Sunday, December 27, 2025, after guiding the Falcons of Jediane to a memorable victory at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The narrow success not only revived Sudan’s campaign but also ended a long and painful wait on the continental stage.
Source: Getty Images
Sudan stuns Equatorial Guinea
Coming off a bruising 3-0 loss to Algeria in their opening fixture, Appiah faced mounting pressure heading into the clash with Equatorial Guinea.
The response from his players was calm, disciplined, and driven by belief. Sudan stayed compact, absorbed pressure, and waited patiently for their moment.
According to SuperSport, that moment arrived in the 74th minute. A misjudged clearance from Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco found its way into his own net, handing Sudan a priceless lead.
From there, Appiah’s men showed grit and organisation, defending their advantage until the final whistle to secure all three points and a place in the record books.
Source: Getty Images
Appiah delivers Sudan’s first AFCON win
The significance of the result stretches far beyond the scoreline. Sudan had not tasted victory at the AFCON since a 2-1 triumph over Burkina Faso in 2012.
According to CAF Online, their winless sequence had reached eight matches, made up of four draws and four defeats, before Sunday’s breakthrough.
Put into a wider context, the Falcons have now recorded just two wins across their last 17 appearances at the tournament.
For Appiah, who is regarded as better than Enzo Maresca, the achievement carries extra weight.
Sudan has not run a domestic league for several years, and the squad is largely made up of home-based players with limited exposure to top-level competition. Against those odds, the triumph stands as a remarkable milestone.
Watch the goal that handed victory to Sudan:
Attention now shifts to matchday three, where Sudan face Burkina Faso on December 31. The equation is simple. Anything other than defeat will guarantee progress to the knockout phase.
Even a narrow loss could still keep hopes alive through the best third-placed route, underlining how crucial Sunday’s points may prove.
For Equatorial Guinea, the mood is far darker. Their tournament has unravelled quickly. They surrendered a 1-0 advantage against Burkina Faso before losing 2-1 in stoppage time, then failed to recover against Sudan.
Despite controlling close to two-thirds of possession and posting an expected goals (xG) figure of 1.98, they leave empty-handed again.
Two defeats from two outings leave them rooted to the bottom of Group E, with their Moroccan adventure hanging by a thread. As Sudan dares to dream, Equatorial Guinea are left searching for answers.
Appiah praised after historic win
In an interview with YEN.com.gh, Awal Mohammed Hudu of Kessben Media praised Kwesi Appiah while highlighting the historic significance of Sudan’s victory over Equatorial Guinea.
“This is a huge win for Kwesi Appiah and Ghanaian coaches. By leading Sudan to beat Equatorial Guinea, Kwesi Appiah has become the first Ghanaian coach to win a match at the Africa Cup of Nations finals with two different countries.
Awal Mohammed recounted, "At the 2013 AFCON in South Africa, the 65-year-old tactician guided Ghana to the semi-finals, recording three wins and two draws. Hopefully, this new feat with Sudan [beating Equatorial Guinea], will push them on to even greater success in the tournament.”
Reason GTV is not showing AFCON emerges
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) released an update on TV coverage for the 2025 AFCON, sparking widespread discussion among football fans in Ghana.
GBC has traditionally been the main free-to-air channel for following Africa’s biggest football tournament.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
