South Sudan vs Egypt Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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South Sudan

vs

Egypt

KickoffTuesday 29 September 2026, 2:00pm

CompetitionAfrican Cup of Nations Qualifying

Egypt arrive in Juba needing a response. After being held to a goalless draw at home by Angola in their opening AFCON qualifier, the Pharaohs find themselves two points behind Group B leaders Malawi already, and the pressure to get points on the board is very real. Can they shake off that flat performance and pick up a comfortable away win, or will South Sudan use their home advantage and a tricky artificial surface to drag Egypt into a proper contest?

This preview breaks down the team news, form, the numbers that matter and where the value might lie across the main betting markets.

South Sudan vs Egypt Match Details

This Africa Cup of Nations Group B qualifier takes place at Juba National Stadium, a venue that has already been the subject of controversy this week given concerns about its artificial playing surface. It is that very surface that has influenced Egypt’s selection, with Mohamed Salah left out of the travelling squad entirely, making the occasion feel a little different to what a straightforward ranking comparison might suggest.

Team News

Egypt are the side with the more notable absentees, and the Salah news is the headline. Two key figures are unavailable for this trip specifically because of worries about playing on artificial turf.

• Mohamed Salah is absent. His club raised concerns about the risk of injury on the artificial pitch and the captain has been rested as a precaution. Osama Faisal has been added to the squad as cover.
• Mohamed Abdelmonem is also missing. Medical advice from Nice flagged worries about the demands of an artificial surface on his previously injured knee following an ACL problem.
• Marwan Attia returns after serving a suspension and is pushing for a starting berth to replace Mahmoud Saber, who was substituted in the first half against Angola.
• Omar Marmoush is expected to start having come on early as a substitute last time out, while Zizo is also pushing for a place after replacing Salah against Angola.

South Sudan are under new management in Christian Nsengi-Biembe, appointed in August, and he is likely to lean on continuity after what was a reasonably spirited showing in Malawi despite the defeat. Stephen Joseph Dhata, who scored last time out, will hope to cause problems from the right flank. Valentino Kuach Yuel, Keer Majak, Joseph Malish and Jackson Dwang are all pushing to come into the starting eleven after featuring from the bench against Malawi.

Predicted Lineups

Hossam Hassan faces real selection headaches without Salah and Abdelmonem, but the squad depth is still there to field a competitive side. Attia’s return in midfield is a boost, and the front line is likely to be built around Marmoush leading the attack with Zizo and Haissem Hassan providing support.

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

South Sudan’s new boss Nsengi-Biembe will probably stick with a similar shape to the one that showed some fight in Malawi. Dhata is the biggest attacking threat and will want to build on his goal. The home side have enough energy in wide areas to at least make Egypt work.

South Sudan expected lineup: Mawith; Atendele, Angier, Laku, Bakosoro; Dhata, Chan, Jawa, Gama; Iluya, Albano

Recent Form

Egypt’s form coming into this fixture is a mixed picture. On the one hand, they found the net in each of their seven matches prior to the Angola game, which makes that goalless draw feel like an anomaly rather than a trend. On the other hand, they have now gone four consecutive matches without a win inside 90 minutes. That run includes a draw with Iran at the World Cup group stage, a penalty shootout victory over Australia after another stalemate, then a 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the last 16 before last week’s blank against Angola. The performances have not always been dire, but the results have stalled, and against Angola they dominated possession, had Mostafa Ziko’s effort ruled out for offside, and saw Marmoush denied late on. Controlled but toothless, which is a concern heading into any away qualifier.

South Sudan’s recent record makes for grim reading. They have won just one of their last 11 matches across all competitions, drawing three and losing seven of the others. That solitary victory came in the AFCON qualifying preliminary round, a 4-0 hammering of Djibouti, before they lost the return leg 1-0 and scraped through on aggregate. Last week in Malawi, the Bright Stars cancelled out the opener through Dhata only to concede a second half winner and head home without a point. There were some promising spells in that performance but the end result was the same story that has followed them all year.

The contrast in quality is stark, and this should play into Egypt’s hands. But the artificial surface, the absence of Salah, and the fact Egypt have been stuttering in front of goal all week means Hossam Hassan will not be taking anything for granted.

Head-to-Head Record

There is not much of a rivalry to dig into here. Egypt and South Sudan have met just once at senior level, with the Pharaohs winning that encounter 3-0 back in June 2023. There is no pattern to analyse across multiple meetings because there simply have not been enough of them, but the single data point tells you everything you need to know about the gap in class between these two sides at this level.

South Sudan have never qualified for the AFCON finals since gaining independence in 2011 and joining FIFA in 2012, while Egypt have won the tournament seven times. This is a very different calibre of opponent for the Bright Stars to be facing.

Key Stats

• Egypt are ranked 24th in the FIFA World Rankings. South Sudan are 169th. That is a gap of 145 places, one of the largest ranking disparities you will see in this qualifying round.
• South Sudan have won just one of their last 11 matches across all competitions, with seven defeats in that run.
• Egypt went unbeaten through their entire previous AFCON qualifying campaign, winning four and drawing two across six group stage matches.

South Sudan vs Egypt Betting Tips

The story of this match is whether Egypt can finally rediscover their clinical edge after a frustrating spell in front of goal, or whether South Sudan can use the artificial surface and home support to keep this tight. The ranking gap points firmly to an Egypt win, but with Salah absent and form stuttering, it is worth looking at individual markets carefully rather than assuming this will be a stroll.

Corners Prediction

Egypt are expected to dominate possession and territory for large portions of this match, which naturally drives up the corner count. Against Angola they created plenty of chances and were pushing forward consistently. Expect the Pharaohs to rack up corners as they probe a defensively limited South Sudan side, and a total of over 9 corners in the match looks like a reasonable shout.

First Goalscorer Prediction

Omar Marmoush is the pick here. He is set to start after being used as a substitute against Angola, he had a late effort saved in that game and he is clearly the focal point of Egypt’s attack in Salah’s absence. With Ziko’s offside goal and Marmoush’s late chance last week showing Egypt were creating opportunities, Marmoush starting from the off should see him get on the scoresheet first at a decent price.

Correct Score Prediction

Egypt to win 2-0. The Pharaohs have the quality to find the net once Marmoush gets going from the first whistle, and South Sudan’s recent record suggests they will struggle to find a way through a settled Egyptian back line. A clean sheet feels likely given the gulf in quality, but Egypt’s form in front of goal means this probably stays in single figures rather than turning into a rout.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction

No is the call here. South Sudan have been struggling badly for wins and goals all year, and Egypt, even without Salah, have the defensive structure to keep a Bright Stars attack quiet. South Sudan showed some fight against Malawi but creating and converting chances against this level of opposition is a different challenge entirely. BTTS No looks solid.

Over and Under Goals Prediction

Under 3.5 goals feels like the right lean. Egypt’s scoring has dried up in recent matches and while South Sudan are unlikely to keep a clean sheet, the Pharaohs grinding out a 2-0 or a 1-0 is more probable than a free-scoring affair. Under 2.5 goals is worth a look too if you fancy Egypt keeping this relatively tight while doing just enough to win.

Cards Prediction

South Sudan will need to work hard defensively and could get physical when Egypt start moving the ball quickly. Expect a handful of bookings across both sides, with the home team the more likely to pick up cards as they try to disrupt Egypt’s rhythm through midfield. Over 3.5 cards in the match is worth considering given the stakes and the tendency for competitive qualifiers like this to generate some needle.

Bet Builder Tip

Egypt winning to nil with Marmoush opening the scoring fits the most likely narrative of this match and combines three picks that all point in the same direction.

Final Match Prediction

Egypt are too good to drop points here, even without Salah. The artificial surface is a factor and South Sudan will make it competitive for a spell, but the class difference across the pitch is simply too significant for the Bright Stars to contain the Pharaohs for 90 minutes. Hossam Hassan’s side need this win to get their qualifying campaign moving, and that motivation combined with their overall quality should be enough to get the job done.

Predicted score: South Sudan 0-2 Egypt. Marmoush to break the deadlock, Egypt to manage the game from there and pick up three points that relieve the pressure on their group stage campaign.

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