South Sudan vs Egypt – News and Probable Lineups

Following a disappointing opening match for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers last week, Egypt aims to secure their first points when they visit Juba to confront South Sudan on Tuesday afternoon.

The Pharaohs were held to a goalless stalemate against Angola in Cairo, which places them two points behind early leaders Malawi in Group B, who kicked off their campaign with a 2-1 win against the Bright Stars, currently positioned at the bottom of the group.

Match overview

For a team that had scored in their previous seven contests across all formats, Egypt’s scoreless draw against Angola came as a shock, especially considering Hossam Hassan’s side dominated possession and generated sufficient opportunities to win.

Mostafa Ziko believed he scored the opening goal in the first half, but it was disallowed for offside, while Omar Marmoush had a late shot saved, as Egypt’s inability to convert their dominance into goals cost them crucial points.

This result signifies that Egypt has failed to secure a win in any of their last four matches within 90 minutes, with a draw against Iran on matchday three of the World Cup group stage preceding a penalty shootout victory over Australia after another deadlock, followed by a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16.

Currently sitting 24th in the FIFA World Rankings, the Pharaohs are 145 places ahead of South Sudan; however, that considerable gap may prove inconsequential if the seven-time African champions do not adapt to the artificial pitch at Juba National Stadium, particularly with Mohamed Salah being rested due to worries about the playing conditions.

There’s increasing pressure on Egypt to regain their qualifying prowess after they went unbeaten during their previous AFCON journey, where they recorded four wins and two draws to top their group that included Botswana, Mauritania, and Cape Verde.

On the other hand, South Sudan has never qualified for the continental finals since gaining independence in 2011 and joining FIFA in 2012, while their latest AFCON qualifying effort ended with them at the bottom of Group K after securing just one victory and suffering five defeats.

Last week’s loss against Malawi occurred even with Stephen Joseph Dhata equalizing Babatunde Adepoju’s opener, before Lloyd Njaliwa regained the lead for the hosts in the second half, leaving South Sudan without any points.

This defeat indicates that South Sudan has managed to win just one of their past 11 games (D3, L7), dating back to late December 2024, with that lone victory coming in this year’s AFCON qualifying preliminaries, where they overpowered Djibouti 4-0 before losing the return fixture 1-0 and advancing to the group stage.

Tuesday’s encounter presents another significant challenge for the new head coach Christian Nsengi-Biembe, who took over in August, although he could find solace in his team’s performance at times against Malawi.

South Sudan will be hoping that playing at home can provide them an edge against Egypt, although historical results do not favor them, as the Pharaohs triumphed 3-0 in their only prior senior encounter in June 2023.

Team News

Egypt’s captain Salah is sidelined for this match due to injury concerns arising from the artificial turf at Juba National Stadium, while Osama Faisal has been called up to the traveling squad after Salah’s withdrawal.

Marmoush is expected to start after coming on as a substitute in the first half last time around, while Zizo is also in contention for a starting role following his substitution in place of Salah against Angola.

Mohamed Abdelmonem will be unavailable after medical advice from Nice raised alarms about the intensity of playing on artificial turf following his prior ACL injury.

On a positive note, Marwan Attia is back in contention after serving his suspension and could come in for Mahmoud Saber, who was substituted in the first half against Angola.

South Sudan’s new head coach Nsengi-Biembe may retain the majority of the lineup that showcased a spirited performance against Malawi, with Dhata looking to create problems from the right wing after scoring previously.

Valentino Kuach Yuel, Keer Majak, Joseph Malish, and Jackson Dwang are also pressing for starting positions following their impactful cameos in the last match.

South Sudan probable starting XI:

With; Atendele, Angier, Laku, Bakosoro; Dhata, Chan, Java, Gama; Iluya, Albano

Egypt probable starting XI:

Shobeir; Hany, Abdelmaguid, Rabia, Aboul-Fetouh; Attia, Lasheen; Zizo, Ashour, Haissem Hassan; Marmoush

Egypt’s difficulties in finding the back of the net last week may complicate this fixture more than the rankings suggest, yet the Pharaohs should possess sufficient experience and quality to eventually navigate past South Sudan and earn their first three points in the qualifying round.