While the football world focused on the heavyweight clash between Ivory Coast and Cameroon, Group E delivered the stories that actually mattered. Algeria confirmed their status as serious contenders. Sudan shocked everyone. And Equatorial Guinea's tournament turned into a disaster.
Algeria Through, Questions Remain
Riyad Mahrez stepped up in the 23rd minute and buried the penalty that sealed Algeria's knockout stage berth. Clean and clinical. The Desert Foxes now have six points from two games and haven't conceded a goal.
But let's be real—Burkina Faso made this harder than it should have been. Algeria dominated possession but created surprisingly few clear chances. Against better opposition in the knockout rounds, that inefficiency will cost them.
The positive? Ibrahim Maza looks like the real deal. The 19-year-old was named man of the match, dictating tempo and showing the kind of composure that belies his age. He's the player to watch if you're not already.
"We were expecting a very tough match," Maza said. "We fought very hard and the most important thing is that we won."
Sudan: The Story Nobody Saw Coming
The 1970 African champions beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Casablanca. On paper, it sounds straightforward. In context, it's remarkable.
Sudan came into this tournament with almost no expectations. Their qualifying campaign was chaotic, their preparation disrupted by domestic issues. But they've now beaten Equatorial Guinea while Algeria handled them—meaning they're very much in the mix for a last-16 spot.
The winning goal was an own goal from Saul Coco, turning a free kick into his own net in the 74th minute. Luck? Maybe. But you create your own luck by putting teams under pressure, and Sudan did exactly that.
Equatorial Guinea's Collapse
This is where it gets ugly. Equatorial Guinea have now lost back-to-back matches at AFCON for the first time in their history. A team that once co-hosted this tournament in 2012 and reached the semi-finals in 2015 is falling apart.
Emilio Nsue, the tournament's top scorer in 2023, had a chance to equalize late but fired wide. That miss encapsulates everything wrong with their campaign. The quality is there individually, but collectively they've been a mess.
What the Numbers Say
Algeria's defensive solidity is impressive—zero goals conceded in 180 minutes. But they're not creating enough volume. Two goals from penalties in the group stage isn't sustainable.
Burkina Faso showed enough resilience to suggest they can beat Sudan in their final match and sneak through as one of the best third-placed teams.
The group will be decided on December 31st when Algeria face Equatorial Guinea and Burkina Faso meet Sudan. Algeria will likely rotate, which opens doors for upsets.
The Takeaway
Group E exposed the gap between reputation and reality. Algeria are good but not great. Sudan are better than anyone expected. And Equatorial Guinea need to rebuild everything.
In a tournament already delivering on drama, this group delivered substance.