Equatorial Guinea and Sudan will lock horns in a crucial Group E Matchday Two fixture at the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, with both nations desperate to register their first points of the tournament.
The match is scheduled for Sunday, 28 December, at the iconic Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca, Morocco, with kick-off set for 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT).
After opening-day defeats on Matchday One, the two sides now face early pressure in a group where recovery time is short and margins for error are slimmer than ever.
A win for either team could reignite knockout-stage hopes, while another loss may leave progression hanging by a thread.
This encounter marks the first-ever meeting between the National Thunder of Equatorial Guinea and the Falcons of Jediane of Sudan at the AFCON finals.
However, the teams are not entirely unfamiliar with each other.
Their only previous clashes came during qualification for the 2019 AFCON tournament. Equatorial Guinea emerged dominant, winning both fixtures.
The first leg, played on 8 September 2018 in Bata, saw Equatorial Guinea secure a narrow 1-0 home victory, thanks to a 30th-minute strike from experienced forward Emilio Nsue, who continues to be a central figure in the country’s football narrative.
The reverse fixture, on 22 March 2019 in Sudan, produced a dramatic contest.
Sudan struck first through Saif Tere in the 15th minute, raising home hopes of a turnaround. But Nsue equalised from the penalty spot and later converted again for his brace, both from 12 yards.
Midfield orchestrator Pablo Ganet, along with former Premier League-based midfielder Pedro Obiang, also found the net as Equatorial Guinea completed an emphatic 4-1 comeback win on Sudanese soil.
Despite the intense battles, neither nation made it to the 2019 finals in Egypt, finishing behind group leaders Senegal and surprise package Madagascar in the qualifiers.
Heading into this AFCON 2025 duel, Sudan will hope to rewrite history and shake off past frustrations, while Equatorial Guinea will aim to maintain psychological advantage and avoid back-to-back losses.
Both teams have shown flashes of quality, but consistency remains the missing piece. For the coaches, tactical discipline, mental resilience, and attacking efficiency will be key themes in final preparations.
With fans in Casablanca expecting a fiery contest under the Moroccan sun, this could be one of the pivotal matches that shapes Group E’s direction.
As the countdown ends, one thing is clear — both sides are chasing more than victory.
They are chasing revival, belief, and the chance to compete for continental relevance once again.