Burkina Faso booked second place in Group E at the Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-0 win over Sudan in Casablanca, with goals from Lassina Traoré and Arsène Kouassi as their opponents squandered a penalty.
Traoré put Burkina Faso ahead after 16 minutes, rising to meet a looping cross from Stephane Aziz Ki and steering his header inside the far post. Sudan squandered a golden chance to level when Hervé Koffi, Burkina Faso’s goalkeeper, fouled Al-Jezoli Nouh in the box, only for him to drag the resulting penalty wide.
That miss was compounded by further wasted opportunities, and Burkina Faso made sure of the points as Kouassi raced on to a pass from Dango Ouattara and slipped the ball past the goalkeeper from 15 yards.
Burkina Faso finished on six points from three matches, three behind the group winners, Algeria, who advance with a perfect record. Sudan, meanwhile, progress as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Burkina Faso must wait for the completion of Group F later on Wednesday to learn their knockout opponents: either Cameroon, Mozambique, or the defending champions, Côte d’Ivoire.
That knockout tie against a pool winner is set for Marrakech on Tuesday while Sudan face a daunting test against 2021 champions, Senegal, in Tangier on Saturday.
Algeria kept up their winning run at the finals, making it three out of three in Group E as they beat Equatorial Guinea 3-1 to affirm their status among the tournament favourites.
Goals in the first half from Zineddine Belaïd, Farès Chaïbi and Ibrahim Maza secured a comfortable victory for a second-string side at the Stade Moula El Hassan, with veteran Emilio Nsue pulling one back for Equatorial Guinea after the break.
Algeria were already confirmed as group winners after beating Burkina Faso on Sunday to set up a last-16 meeting with the Democratic Republic of Congo, enabling them to make nine changes for Wednesday’s game.
Equatorial Guinea finished last in Group E without any points, unable to reprise their giant killing heroics of the previous tournament.
Later on New Year’s Eve, the group stage concludes with Gabon taking on Ivory Coast and Mozambique playing Cameroon. Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon are level on points at the top of Group F on four points, one ahead of Mozambique, while Gabon are yet to get off the mark.
This story will be updated …
