Equatorial Guinea Defeat Sierra Leone 1-0 in AFCON Qualifier
Tolulope Aina Equatorial Guinea defeated Sierra Leone 1-0 on Monday in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match, with Loren Zúñiga scoring the only goal of the game.
Zúñiga struck in the opening minute to give Equatorial Guinea an early lead, which the hosts maintained until the final whistle.
Sierra Leone, who were looking for their first points of the qualifying campaign after losing 3-2 to Zimbabwe in their opening Group E fixture, were unable to find an equaliser.
The Leone Stars had taken a 2-0 lead against Zimbabwe through Alie Conteh and Sallieu Tarawallie before conceding three second-half goals in the defeat.
Monday’s match produced few clear scoring opportunities. Equatorial Guinea recorded four attempts, with one finding the back of the net, while Sierra Leone struggled to seriously threaten the hosts’ goal.
The result leaves Sierra Leone still searching for their first points in the qualifying campaign. The Leone Stars are scheduled to face São Tomé and Príncipe in their next home-and-away qualifying fixtures. Equatorial Guinea, meanwhile, will play Liberia in their next two matches.
The defeat also extends Sierra Leone’s wait for a win in AFCON qualifying. According to the supplied match report, the Leone Stars had gone eight qualifying matches without a victory, recording six defeats and two draws since June 2023.
Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea have met several times in competitive football. Their most recent previous meeting came at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, played in January 2022, when Equatorial Guinea also won 1-0.