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Sudan Writes History at AFCON 2025: A Group Stage Tale Where No Sudanese Player Scored

31 December 2025

Sudan Writes History at AFCON 2025: A Group Stage Tale Where No Sudanese Player Scored
The Falcons of Sudan celebrate a historic AFCON moment.

Historic milestone

The Africa Cup of Nations 2025, currently staged in Morocco, marked a historic moment in its group stage.

Sudan’s unique march

According to Stats Foot, Sudan became the first AFCON side in history to reach the knockout rounds without any of its players scoring a goal.

The Falcons of Sudan advanced from the group after collecting three points to finish third in Group E, behind Algeria, who topped the group with a perfect record, and Burkina Faso in second with six points.

Sudan earned a single victory, 1-0, against Equatorial Guinea in the second group match, at the Mohammed V Stadium.

The only goal came as an own goal by Saúl Coco of Equatorial Guinea in the 74th minute.

Punchline: Precision matters—Sudan scored with headlines, not goals.

Punchline 2: If humor counted as goals, this team would lift the trophy.

Author

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Michael Whooosh

I am Michael Whooosh, an English sports journalist born in 1986. Passionate about surfing, poetry, and beekeeping, I share my human and sensitive view of sports.

Frequently Asked Questions

What historic feat did Sudan achieve in AFCON 2025?

Sudan became the first AFCON team to advance from the group stage without any of its players scoring a goal.

Who topped and who joined Sudan in Group E’s knockout trajectory?

Algeria topped the group with a perfect record, while Burkina Faso finished second with six points.

How did Sudan’s only win occur and against whom?

Sudan beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in the second group match, via an own goal by Saúl Coco in the 74th minute.