South Sudan coach Christian Pembe vows to upset Egypt in AFCON 2027 qualifier

South Sudan coach Christian Pembe has vowed that his side will approach their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt with the intention of securing victory rather than simply trying to avoid defeat.

The Bright Stars will host the Pharaohs at Juba Stadium on Tuesday in the second round of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, with both teams looking for their first win of the campaign.

Egypt were held to a goalless draw by Angola in their opening Group B fixture, while South Sudan suffered a 2-1 defeat to Malawi.

Despite facing one of Africa’s most experienced national teams, Pembe insists his players will not approach the encounter with a defensive mentality.

“We know it will be a tough match against one of the biggest African teams, but we are here to play, not to give up or just defend. We will respect the Egyptian team, and at the same time we will play according to our capabilities, organization and character.”

Pembe revealed that his technical team has studied Egypt’s opening qualifier against Angola and identified both their strengths and areas that South Sudan can exploit.

“Yes, we analyzed their match. The Egyptian national team has many strengths, especially in ball possession, technical quality and experience, but like any team, they also have spaces and moments where we can cause them problems, and we will focus on that.”

The South Sudan coach also believes the encounter provides his players with a valuable opportunity to demonstrate their abilities against a high-profile opponent.

“Certainly, for any player, facing a great team like Egypt is an excellent opportunity to show his potential, but above all I ask them to play for the team, and the best way to attract attention is to deliver a strong collective performance.”

Egypt possess several attacking threats, including Omar Marmoush, but Pembe insists South Sudan will not build their defensive strategy around stopping one individual.

“We have great respect for all the Egyptian players, but we don’t want to focus on just one player. The danger comes from the whole team, and our response will be collective: to be cohesive, to defend well, to close down spaces, and to maintain our focus for the full 90 minutes.”

With both teams needing points, Pembe was also asked whether he would consider a draw a satisfactory outcome.

“We always go onto the pitch to win. We know the quality of our opponent, but we don’t prepare for any match thinking about a draw. We will play to achieve the best possible result, with courage, discipline, and intelligence.”

The match is scheduled for Tuesday at 3:00pm Cairo time at Juba Stadium, with Egypt hoping to respond to their opening draw and South Sudan seeking to recover from their defeat to Malawi.

The Pharaohs are in Group B alongside South Sudan, Angola and Malawi, making Tuesday’s encounter an important fixture for both sides as they look to strengthen their position in the race for qualification.