Sudan national team head coach Kwesi Appiah has expressed unwavering confidence that his side will compete for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in Morocco.

The East African nation opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea at Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca on Sunday, keeping Group E wide open. The decisive moment came in the 74th minute, after a goalless first half, when a free-kick led to an own goal by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in a desperate clearance attempt.

Both teams had been seeking their first points following defeats on matchday one. This was also the first AFCON finals meeting between Sudan and Equatorial Guinea. Early in the match, Joha Otenyal threatened the visitors with a left-footed strike, which was well saved by goalkeeper Jesus Owono.

Equatorial Guinea came close to an equalizer in the second half when veteran forward Emilio Nsue, shortly after coming off the bench, fired a right-footed effort narrowly wide. With five minutes remaining, Nsue urged his side to push harder, but Sudan’s defence held firm to secure all three points, moving them to third place in Group E with three points.

Appiah: Sudan aiming for the title

“Equatorial Guinea have a lot of experienced players, and you could see they know themselves well,” Appiah said after the match. “But our team showed a fighting spirit and played to win until the very end.”

On Sudan’s ambitions for the tournament, he added: “Our goal is not just to participate or get out of the group stages. The ambition is to play well and aim to win this competition. We may not have started perfectly, but our priority is to win our games and lift the AFCON trophy.”

Appiah concluded: “Our mission is clear: it is not about winning one game, it is about going all the way and lifting the AFCON.”

Equatorial Guinea reaction

Equatorial Guinea coach Juan Micha acknowledged his team’s shortcomings: “We played to win and created chances, but we did not convert them. Sudan played well and deserved the win. Sometimes you create opportunities but do not score, and then you concede—it is part of the game.”

Equatorial Guinea will regroup ahead of their next Group E fixture, while Sudan face Burkina Faso at Stade V Mohamed on Wednesday, December 31st.