Sudan made Africa Cup of Nations history by becoming the first team to qualify for the knockout stage without scoring a single goal in the tournament.
Sudan advanced from Group E of the 2025 AFCON with three points, finishing third behind group winners Algeria, who claimed the maximum points, and second-placed Burkina Faso, who finished the group stage with six.
Also read: AFCON 2025: Full list, dates, times and venues of round of 16 fixtures
The only win came in their second group match against Equatorial Guinea at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca. The match ended 1–0, but the decisive goal was not scored by a Sudanese player.
Instead, Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Koko put the ball into his own net in the 74th minute, giving Sudan a vital three points.
Also read: Gabon government suspends national team, bans Aubameyang over AFCON flop
Throughout the remainder of the group stage, Sudan failed to find the back of the net, their progress entirely secured by that lone goal and the points it yielded.
Despite its offensive struggles, the team finished strong defensively and did enough to finish as one of the best third-place teams.
This achievement has earned Sudan a place in the AFCON record books. While many teams have suffered prolonged scoring droughts in the tournament's history, none have advanced beyond the group stage without first registering an own goal.
Sudan will now turn their attention to their knockout match against Senegal on Saturday, where they will hope to book qualification for the quarter-finals.
