MATCH STATS: Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria – TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Group E

Equatorial Guinea and Algeria close out their Group E campaigns at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 with contrasting fortunes when they meet at the Complexe Sportif Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan in Rabat on Tuesday, 31 December. Kick-off is at 17h00 local time (16h00 GMT).

Already eliminated at the group stages for the first time in their AFCON history, Equatorial Guinea will be playing for pride as they look to end the tournament with a win. Algeria, by contrast, have already secured top spot in the group and a place in the Round of 16, returning to the knockout stages after successive early exits.

This will be the second meeting between the sides at an Africa Cup of Nations finals, following their memorable clash at the 2021 edition.

Equatorial Guinea famously defeated the then defending champions during their second group match of the 2021 tournament, with Esteban scoring the only goal of the game in the 70th minute.

Equatorial Guinea went on to finish runners-up in Group E behind Côte d’Ivoire, while Algeria ended bottom of the group behind Sierra Leone.

The teams were also paired together during qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Algeria won the home fixture 2–0 on 5 September 2024, with Houssem Aouar scoring in the 69th minute and Amine Gouiri adding a second in stoppage time.

The return fixture in Malabo on 14 November 2024 ended in a goalless draw.

Both sides progressed to the finals in Morocco ahead of Togo and Liberia, with Algeria winning five of their six qualifiers and only failing to defeat Equatorial Guinea.

 

PAST MEETINGS

OVERALL
Equatorial Guinea: P3 W1 D1 L1 GF1 GA2 GD-1
Algeria: P3 W1 D1 L1 GF2 GA1 GD+1

AFCON ONLY
Equatorial Guinea: P1 W1 D0 L0 GF1 GA0 GD+1
Algeria: P1 W0 D0 L1 GF0 GA1 GD-1

PAST AFCON MEETINGS

2021 AFCON – Group E16 January 2022
Algeria 0 Equatorial Guinea 1 (Esteban 70’)

Equatorial Guinea – Key Statistics

·       Have lost their opening two group games at AFCON 2025, 2–1 against Burkina Faso and 1–0 against Sudan.

·       Both defeats at the current edition have been by a single-goal margin.

·       Have lost their opening two games at an AFCON finals for the first time.

·       Are eliminated at the group stages for the first time in their AFCON history.

·       Had previously progressed from the group stage in all four prior appearances (2012, 2015, 2021, 2023).

·       This is the first time they have lost successive group games at the same AFCON edition.

·       This is also the first time they have lost their second group game (previously W3 D1).

·       Two defeats is their highest number of losses in a single AFCON group stage.

·       This is the second time they have lost two consecutive matches at the same AFCON, after defeats to Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire in 2012.

·       This is the second time they have failed to win either of their opening two group matches, having drawn both in 2015 before beating Gabon to progress.

·       Have now lost their last three AFCON matches, their longest losing run at the finals.

·       Their last three AFCON defeats have all been by a single goal.

·       Record in final group matches at AFCON: P4 W3 D0 L1.

·       Have won their final group match in 2015 (2–0 vs Gabon), 2021 (1–0 vs Sierra Leone) and 2023 (4–0 vs Côte d’Ivoire).

·       Their only defeat in a final group game was 1–0 against Zambia in 2012, after qualification had already been secured.

·       All four of their previous final group matches at AFCON have produced a winner.

·       Their 4–0 win over Côte d’Ivoire in 2023 is their biggest victory at the tournament.

·       Failure to win this match would see them leave an AFCON finals winless for the first time.

·       Have failed to score in two of their last three AFCON matches.

·       Completed 382 passes against Sudan, compared to Sudan’s 153.

·       Recorded 65.7% possession in the match against Sudan.

·       Saúl Coco attempted 77 passes against Sudan, completing 73, the most by any player in the match, and made 10 line-breaking passes.

·       Coco scored an own goal against Sudan, becoming the second Equatorial Guinea player to score an own goal at AFCON, after Esteban Orozco in 2023 against Guinea-Bissau.

 

Algeria – Key Statistics

·       Opened their group campaign with a 3–0 win over Sudan, followed by a 1–0 victory against Burkina Faso.

·       Have qualified for the knockout stages at AFCON for the first time since winning the title in 2019.

·       Were eliminated at the group stage in their previous two AFCON appearances in 2021 and 2023.

·       Have progressed beyond the group stages for the 12th time in 21 AFCON appearances.

·       For the second time at an AFCON hosted by Morocco, Algeria have passed the group stage, having finished third in 1998.

·       Have started an AFCON with back-to-back wins for the first time since 2019.

·       Last won all three group matches at AFCON in 2019.

·       On both previous occasions when they won all three group games (1990 and 2019), Algeria went on to win the tournament.

·       Have opened the tournament with successive clean sheets for the first time since 2019.

·       Last kept three clean sheets in a single group stage in 2019.

·       The clean sheet against Burkina Faso was Algeria’s 29th at AFCON.

·       Have lost just one of their last four group matches at AFCON, the 1–0 defeat to Mauritania in their final group game in 2023.

·       Have failed to score in only one of their last six AFCON matches.

·       Riyad Mahrez scored against Burkina Faso, taking his AFCON goal tally to nine.

·       Mahrez is Algeria’s all-time leading AFCON goalscorer, three clear of Lakhdar Belloumi.

·       Has scored in successive AFCON matches for the first time.

·       Has scored three goals in a single AFCON finals for the second time, also doing so in 2019.

·       Became the first Algerian to score in the opening two matches of an AFCON since Baghdad Bounedjah in 2023.

·       No Algerian player has ever scored in all three group matches at a single AFCON edition.

·       Algeria’s record in AFCON matches in which Mahrez has scored stands at W6 D1.

·       Seven of Mahrez’s nine AFCON goals have come in the group stages.

·       At 20 years and 34 days, Ibrahim Maza became the second youngest player to start a match for Algeria at AFCON since 2010.