Sudan name squad for AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Ethiopia and Mozambique

Sudan head coach James Kwesi Appiah has named his squad for the opening two matches of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Ethiopia and Mozambique.

The Falcons of Jediane will begin their Group J campaign against Ethiopia on 25 September before travelling to face Mozambique four days later.

Sudan’s meeting with Ethiopia will be played at Juba Stadium in South Sudan, while the second fixture against Mozambique is scheduled for 29 September at the Maputo Stadium.

Appiah, who previously coached Ghana, has opted for a squad featuring a blend of experienced players as Sudan look to secure a place at the finals, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in 2027.

The squad includes three goalkeepers – Mohamed Mustafa, Monged Elneel and Mohamed Abdalla.

In defence, Appiah has selected Ramadan Agab, Ahmed Tabanja, Musab Makeen, Yaser Awad, Mustafa Karshoum, Mazin Simbo, Mohamed Kesra, Sheddy Barglan, Bakhit Khamis, Abdelrahman Kuku and Mohamed Abdelaal.

The midfield options are Ammar Tayfour, Salaheldin Adil, Walieldin Khidir, Mutaz Hashim, Abdelraziq Yagoub, Amar Abdallah, Ahmed Hamid, Musa Hussein and Yasin Hamed.

Up front, Appiah has named Yasir Mozamil, Mohamed Abdelrhman, Abobaker Eisa, Mohamed Eisa, Saifeldin Malik, John Mano, Mohamed Ali, Mahmoud Hisham, Hassan Yaser and Mohamed Nazar.

Sudan will be hoping to build on their recent experience at the Africa Cup of Nations. They reached the finals in Morocco but were eliminated after finishing third in their group.

The opening two qualifying rounds will be particularly important, with all 48 participating nations divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from groups without a host nation will qualify for the finals.

Group J also contains Senegal, meaning Appiah’s side face a demanding qualification campaign. Senegal will host Mozambique in their opening fixture before travelling to Ethiopia for their second match.

For Appiah, the immediate priority will be to make a strong start against Ethiopia before turning his attention to Mozambique four days later.

The Ghanaian coach will be hoping his squad can deliver maximum points from the opening two matches and put Sudan in a strong position as they target another appearance at the continent’s premier international tournament.