AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Egypt face South Sudan with little room for error after Angola draw

Egypt will look to make a winning start to their away campaign when they face South Sudan in Group B of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Tuesday, 29 September.

The match at Juba Stadium is scheduled for 13:00 GMT, with the record seven-time African champions seeking to recover from a frustrating opening-round draw against Angola.

Egypt were held to a goalless draw by Angola in Cairo on Friday, leaving Malawi as the early leaders of Group B after their 2-1 victory over South Sudan. The result means Egypt have one point after the opening round, while South Sudan are yet to register a point.

The Pharaohs now travel to Juba knowing that another dropped points could make the early qualification race more complicated, particularly with only six group matches available to each team.

Egypt seeking response

Hossam Hassan’s side entered the qualifying campaign among the leading contenders in Group B, which also includes Angola and Malawi.

Their opening fixture against Angola, however, ended without a goal despite Egypt enjoying home advantage. Mostafa Zico thought he had put the hosts ahead in the first half, but his effort was ruled out for offside, and Angola eventually secured a valuable point.

Egypt will therefore be looking for a more clinical performance in Juba.

The Pharaohs remain the most successful team in AFCON history with seven titles, although their last triumph came in 2010. They will be determined to avoid allowing another difficult qualifying campaign to develop after failing to win their opening fixture.

Salah absence adds to Egypt’s challenge

One of the major talking points ahead of the match is the absence of Mohamed Salah.

The captain will not travel to South Sudan after the Egyptian Football Association confirmed that he would be rested because the match is being played on an artificial-turf pitch at Juba Stadium.

The decision was agreed between Salah and the technical staff before the Angola game, with Egypt choosing to protect the forward from the potential injury risks associated with the playing surface.

Salah started against Angola but was substituted in the second half. His absence removes one of Egypt’s most influential attacking players from a match in which the visitors will be expected to create and convert chances.

The forward has scored 68 goals for Egypt, leaving him one goal short of Hossam Hassan’s national-team record of 69.

South Sudan looking for a response

South Sudan will enter the game after a difficult opening to their qualifying campaign.

The Bright Stars lost 2-1 to Malawi in their first Group B fixture. Babatunde Adepoju gave Malawi the lead after 20 minutes before Stephen Joseph Dhata restored parity shortly after half-time.

Lloyd Njaliwa’s 64th-minute goal ultimately secured all three points for Malawi.

South Sudan will now have home advantage against Egypt and will hope that the artificial surface in Juba can help them produce a stronger performance.

The match also represents an opportunity for the Bright Stars to respond immediately to their opening defeat rather than allowing the early setback to put them too far behind in the group.

Group B race

After the first round, Malawi lead Group B with three points, while Egypt and Angola have one point each and South Sudan are bottom without a point.

With the top two teams in the group qualifying for the 2027 AFCON finals, every point could prove significant over the six-match campaign.

The qualification format requires teams in the non-host groups to finish among the top two after the home-and-away group stage.

That makes Tuesday’s fixture particularly important for both sides.

For Egypt, victory would provide an immediate response to the Angola draw and put them firmly back into the qualification race. For South Sudan, a positive result would revive their campaign and prevent an early gap from opening between themselves and the leading teams.

What to expect

Egypt are likely to dominate possession and attempt to impose their greater experience, while South Sudan can be expected to rely on their familiarity with the conditions and home support.

The artificial surface could also influence the tempo and technical demands of the game, particularly with Egypt deliberately choosing to leave Salah out.

The Pharaohs’ ability to find goals without their captain will be one of the central questions of the contest.

South Sudan, meanwhile, will need to improve on their defensive organisation after conceding twice against Malawi while also making better use of their attacking opportunities.

With both teams seeking their first win of the campaign, the Juba encounter carries significant importance despite coming only in the second round.

South Sudan v Egypt

Date: Tuesday, 29 September 2026

Venue: Juba Stadium, Juba

Kick-off: 13:00 GMT

Matchday: 2

The 2027 AFCON finals will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July 2027, bringing the tournament back to East Africa for the first time in more than five decades.