AFCON has always been a stage for miracles, and few stories capture its spirit better than that of Georgi Minoungou.
On a night when Burkina Faso refused to surrender, it was the 23-year-old winger who rose in stoppage time to score a dramatic equaliser against Equatorial Guinea, igniting a last-second comeback that sent fans into raptures.
The moment was powerful on its own. Knowing what Minoungou has survived makes it extraordinary.
Minoungou has been kicking a ball since he was two years old. Football carried him from local pitches through the youth ranks and into Europe, where he joined Czech second-tier side MFK Vyškov in 2021.
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His pace, bravery on the ball, and relentless attacking mindset soon earned him a move to the United States with Seattle Sounders and now Tacoma Defiance.
Everything was falling into place. Coaches were impressed, goals were coming, and a permanent first-team contract was within reach.
He even scored against Swedish side Hammarby IF during a pre-season friendly in Spain.
Then disaster struck in 2023.
During a training camp in Marbella, what began as minor itching and swelling in his eye quickly turned terrifying.
His left eye filled with blood and changed colour within days. Surgery confirmed the worst: the nerves were completely dead.
Minoungou was effectively blind in his left eye. Doctors told him he would never play football again.
It should have been the end. Instead, it became the beginning of his defiance.
Six months later, Minoungou was back on the pitch. In May 2024, he made his MLS debut against LA Galaxy.
By November, he had scored his first league goal against Vancouver. Step by step, he reclaimed his career.
Now, under the bright lights of AFCON, Minoungou has written his name into tournament folklore.
❤️ The beautiful story of the AFCON 🇧🇫
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) December 25, 2025
👀 Georgi Minoungou, Burkina Faso winger, is almost blind in his left eye following a serious infection in 2023.
😮 Doctors told him he would never play football again…
🤩 In the end, he scored the equalizer in stoppage time against… pic.twitter.com/XlW5PICBm6
FKA/JE
