Burkina Faso produced one of the most dramatic moments of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 so far, scoring twice deep into stoppage time to stun Equatorial Guinea 2–1 at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca on Wednesday.

In a Group E contest that swung wildly in the closing minutes, the Stallions looked set for frustration after conceding late against ten-man opponents, only to respond with remarkable composure and belief to turn the match on its head in the dying seconds.

The result sends Burkina Faso to the top of the group with three points, while Equatorial Guinea remain bottom ahead of the later clash between Algeria and Sudan.

The first half was evenly balanced, with neither team able to carve out a clear opening despite the high tempo and physical duels that defined the contest.

The match shifted early in the second half when Equatorial Guinea were reduced to ten men. Basilo Ndung was shown a straight red card in the 50th minute following a dangerous challenge, forcing coach Juan Micha to reorganise his side and rethink his approach.

Burkina Faso sought to capitalise on their numerical advantage and believed they had taken the lead in the 71st minute when Lassina Traoré found the net. However, after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out, adding to the frustration of the Stallions as Equatorial Guinea held firm.

Against the run of play, it was Equatorial Guinea who struck first. In the 85th minute, substitute Marvin Aniebo made an immediate impact, rising to meet Carlos Akapo’s corner and heading past the goalkeeper to give his side a shock lead just three minutes after coming on.

With defeat looming, Burkina Faso threw numbers forward, refusing to accept the outcome. Their persistence was finally rewarded in the fifth minute of added time when substitute György Menongo pounced to level the score, sparking belief among the Stallions.

Moments later, disbelief swept through the stadium. In the eighth minute of stoppage time, Edmond Tapsoba powered home the winner, completing an extraordinary turnaround and sending Burkina Faso’s players and supporters into raptures.

Post-match Reactions:

TotalEnergies Man of the Match – Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso defender)

“I feel great joy after this victory. We did not give up after going behind; we scored two goals and won the match. I’m happy with what is happening to us in this tournament. We believed we could come back in the game, and it is in our nature not to stop or lose belief when we are trailing or facing defeat. This Man of the Match award is the result of collective work by our entire team, and I dedicate it to all the members of the Burkina Faso national team.”

Juan Micha – Head Coach of Equatorial Guinea

“Congratulations to Burkina Faso on their victory; they were a strong opponent. There was a lack of concentration on our part, and in less than five minutes we lost the match. We couldn’t control everything, and we will try to reorganise ourselves and see how we can improve our shortcomings in the next matches. There were difficulties and we faced a very strong team. Physically we were good, but mentally we were not. The red card affects all the players, and we finished the match with a numerical disadvantage. Our morale dropped in just a few minutes, and I hope we can correct things next time.”

Brama Traoré – Head Coach of Burkina Faso

“This was our first match of the tournament and it was very important for us in order to enter the competition properly. The victory was not easy against a strong opponent in Equatorial Guinea, who caused us some problems. We decided to play in a way that we believed would lead us to victory. After 60 minutes it was not possible to achieve that, so we worked hard to equalise and then pushed with all our strength to secure the win, which we are very happy about.” (CAFonline.com)

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