AFCON Sunday: Algeria progress and more
AFCON rumbled on Sunday with a full slate of action from across Morocco, headlined by a big match for Algeria and a headline clash between Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon. Learn more about how the Ligue 1 McDonald's stars of the tournament got on in our daily recap.
Côte d'Ivoire 1-1 Cameroon
Billed as perhaps the marquee match of the group stage, this Group F encounter saw two star-studded sides battle for top place, but it was honors even in Marrakech as neither team could find much room to breathe in a rough-and-tumble encounter. Les Éléphants featured Guéla Doué (RC Strasbourg) and Séko Fofana (Stade Rennais) in the eleven, and as they had in the previous match, they picked up a goal from Amad Diallo.
Cameroon were quick to respond, though. Their eleven was largely unchanged from the first match, with Danny Namaso (Auxerre) and the Lorient duo of Arthur Avom and Darlin Yongwa both included, and they recorded an unlucky equalizer on a deflection. Both sides would battle for a winner, but the match ended in a draw that leaves them level with four points ahead of the final round.
Algeria qualifies for the AFCON Round of 16 🇩🇿👏 pic.twitter.com/FgMkyXpWuM
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) December 28, 2025
Algeria 1-0 Burkina Faso
Against a combative Burkina Faso side featuring another Lorient player -- left back Arsene Kouassi, Algeria found it tough, but managed to edge Les Étalons thanks to a penalty converted by Riyad Mahrez. Aissa Mandi (Lille) and Hicham Boudaoui (Nice) both played ninety minutes for Algeria, who are now guaranteed to top Group E. As for Burkina Faso, they'll next face Sudan in a winner-take-all clash.
Earlier in the day, Sudan had edged Equatorial Guinea 1-0, while Mozambique stunned Gabon despite Marseille striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring his fortieth international goal. With two former Stade Rennais players (Mexer, Reinildo) in defence, Mozambique held firm for a 3-2 win that allows them to still hope to top the group, while Gabon were eliminated.
