Burkina Faso produced a dramatic late turnaround to defeat Equatorial Guinea 2-1 in their AFCON Group E clash at Casablanca, scoring twice in stoppage time to snatch all three points.
Equatorial Guinea endured a heartbreaking finale after negotiating much of the second half with 10 men, only to concede twice in the dying minutes of the contest.
The turning point came shortly after the restart when Basilio Ndong was sent off in the 50th minute following a VAR review that confirmed a stamp on Bertrand Traoré’s ankle.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Equatorial Guinea showed resilience and discipline, frustrating the Burkinabè for long spells.
Burkina Faso thought they had found the breakthrough in the 73rd minute when Lassina Traoré found the net, but celebrations were cut short as the goal was ruled out for offside.
Against the run of play, Equatorial Guinea stunned their opponents in the 85th minute. Marvin Anieboh rose above the defence to power home a thumping header, putting the Nzalang Nacional ahead and seemingly on course for a famous victory.
However, Burkina Faso threw everything forward in search of an equaliser and were finally rewarded deep into added time. In the fifth minute of the eight minutes signalled, Georgi Minoungou struck from close range to level the score and reignite hope.
Just three minutes later, the comeback was complete. Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba climbed highest in a crowded penalty area to head home the winning goal from a goalmouth scramble, sealing a stunning late victory for the Stallions.
Burkina Faso will look to build on the momentum when they face Algeria on Sunday, while a devastated Equatorial Guinea will seek redemption against Sudan on the same day.
