BY OUR MAN IN MOROCCO
STADE MOHAMMED V, CASABLANCA — Forget the Christmas Eve carols; the only noise ringing out in Casablanca tonight was the deafening roar of the Burkinabé fans as Edmond Tapsoba snatched a dramatic 98th-minute winner to shatter Equatorial Guinea’s hearts.
In a match that felt more like a street fight than a football game, Burkina Faso survived a massive scare at the iconic Stade Mohammed V. Despite playing against ten men for nearly the entire second half, the Stallions needed two stoppage-time goals to turn a potential disaster into a Christmas miracle.
The atmosphere in Casablanca was electric, with the legendary stadium providing a grand backdrop for this Group E opener. But the “Grand Dame” of Moroccan football saw red just five minutes after the break.
Equatorial Guinea’s Basilio Ndong saw his yellow card upgraded to a straight red after a horror studs-up challenge on Bertrand Traoré. At that point, the script looked written for a Burkina stroll.
Despite the man disadvantage, they stunned the crowd in the 85th minute.
Marvin Anieboh rose highest from a corner to power a header home, sending the small pocket of travelling fans into a frenzy and leaving the Burkinabé stunned on the Casablanca turf.
With the clock ticking into eight minutes of added time, the pressure finally told:
95th Minute: Georgi Minoungou pounced on a loose ball in the box to smash home the equalizer.
98th Minute: With literally the last meaningful play, Bayer Leverkusen star Edmond Tapsoba emerged as the hero, nodding home a rebound to complete the most improbable of turnarounds.
As the final whistle blew, the Stade Mohammed V erupted. Burkina Faso go top of the group, leaving Equatorial Guinea to wonder how they let a Casablanca heist slip through their fingers.
