In a match that seemed destined to end in a shocking upset, Edmond Tapsoba delivered a 98th-minute golden goal to secure a 2-1 victory for Burkina Faso over a resilient 10-man Equatorial Guinea.
The Stallions were forced to dig deep into stoppage time to rescue their AFCON campaign after nearly being punished for a lack of clinical finishing throughout the contest.
The match reached a fever pitch in the closing stages. Trailing 1-0 as the clock hit the 90-minute mark, the Stallions finally found their range. In the 95th minute, substitute Georgi Minoungou pounced on a loose ball during a chaotic goal-mouth scramble to fire home the equalizer.
No doubt about it, late hero Tapsoba is your TotalEnergies Man of the Match.
Just three minutes later, Tapsoba provided the match-winning touch, dinking a header into the net after the goalkeeper failed to clear a teasing cross, completing a remarkable turnaround.
The late drama followed a stunning 85th-minute opener from Equatorial Guineas Marvin Anieboh, who outmuscled his marker during a rare set-piece to thunder a header into the top corner.
It was a goal that defied the run of play, as Equatorial Guinea had been reduced to 10 men in the 50th minute when Basilio Ndong received a straight red card for a clumsy challenge on Bertrand Traore.
Burkina Fasos necessity for a late comeback was entirely self-inflicted. Despite holding two-thirds of the possession, they squandered numerous clear-cut opportunities. Lassina Traore thought he had broken the deadlock in the 71st minute, only for VAR to rule the strike out for a marginal offside.
Earlier, Issa Kabore had glanced a point-blank header wide in the 62nd minute, while Dango Ouattara saw a shot saved directly by the keeper after a rapid counter-attack.
The first half set the tone for the frustration, with Bertrand Traore dragging a solo effort wide in the 4th minute and Issoufou Dayo seeing a header cleared off the line in the 8th.
Ouattara also missed a prime one-on-one opportunity just before the break due to a heavy touch. Ultimately, while the Stallions wastefulness nearly cost them, Tapsobas late heroics ensured they walked away with a clean sheet of three points to start their tournament.
Their next opponent is Algeria on December 28.
