South Sudan produced a commanding performance to defeat Djibouti 4-0 in their CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 Preliminary Round first-leg clash in Juba on Thursday.
Keer Majak was the standout performer, scoring once and providing two assists, as South Sudan took full control of the tie ahead of the return leg, which will also be played at the same venue.
The result gives South Sudan a significant advantage in their bid to reach the group stage of the qualifiers, leaving Djibouti with a mountain to climb in the second leg.
South Sudan made their intentions clear from the outset and were rewarded in the 31st minute when Justin Bangasi set up Teng Kuol to open the scoring.
The goal gave the hosts confidence as they continued to press forward, while Djibouti struggled to cope with South Sudan’s pace and movement in attack.
Despite the early pressure, Djibouti managed to keep the scoreline at 1-0 going into the break, offering a glimmer of hope heading into the second half.
Any hopes of a Djibouti comeback were quickly extinguished after the restart, as South Sudan stepped up their intensity.
Bangasi doubled the lead in the 49th minute, finishing off a move orchestrated by Majak, who was instrumental throughout the contest.
Majak then turned provider again in the 66th minute, setting up Peter Manyang to make it 3-0 and effectively put the result beyond doubt.
The forward capped off an impressive individual display by scoring South Sudan’s fourth goal in the 81st minute, sealing a comprehensive victory.
The defeat leaves them facing a daunting task in the return leg, where they will need a near-perfect performance to overturn the deficit.
With both legs being played in Juba, they will look to capitalise on their familiarity with the conditions to complete the job in the second encounter.
Seychelles hold Lesotho in Bloemfontein
Meanwhile in the other match played on Thursday in Bloemfontein, Seychelles and Lesotho played out to a goalless draw at the Free State Stadium.
The return leg will be played at thje same venue in the neutral venue in the South African city on Sunday.
The matches forms part of the opening round of qualifiers for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027, with the lowest-ranked teams competing for six places in the next stage.
Eritrea back with a win after 20-year hiatusÂ
On Wednesday, Eritrea secured a 2-0 victory over Eswatini in the first leg of their Preliminary Round qualifier played in Meknes, Morocco.
The opening goal of the game was scored in the 81st minute when Siem Eyob-Abraha’s corner appeared to miss everyone and go straight into the net.
The second goal came four minutes into added time at the end of the game as their talisman, Ali Suleiman, went on a mazy run on the left and fired a rocket shot into the roof of the net from close range.
The Eritreans, playing their first continental qualifier in almost 20 years, also missed a penalty as Suleiman saw his effort saved by Eswatini goalkeeper Mlamuli Makhanya, who dived low to his right.
Ironically, Eritrea’s previous TotalEnergies CAF AFCON qualifier was also against Eswatini in September 2007. The side finished second in their qualification pool that year.
The two teams will now travel to Eswatini for the return leg, which will be played on Tuesday next week.
The fixture was the opening match of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 Preliminary Round qualifiers.
The six teams who advance through the Preliminary Round will join the other 42 Member Associations in the Group Phase.
The continental finals will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania next year, the first time they have been staged in East Africa in 51 years.
