Niger hammered Sudan 4-0 in their matchday five fixture of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on Thursday.
Daniel Sosah opened the floodgate of goals with only six minutes played after finishing off a cross from Kairou Amoustapha. Youssouf Oumarou then doubled their lead in the 29th minute.
Sosah then completed a brace to make it 3-0 at the stroke of half-time. Ousseni Badamassi then sealed off the emphatic win in the 51st minute. Despite the defeat, Sudan will need a draw in the next match against Angola to qualify officially.
Going into the game, Niger were bottom with zero wins, while Sudan had only one loss in six AFCON and World Cup qualifying games this year.
Meanwhile, South Sudan overcame Congo in a five-goal spectacle in their 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Thursday, helping Uganda and South Africa to qualify for the tournament to be played in Morocco next year.
In an action-packed game at Juba National Stadium, South Sudan edged Congo 3-2 in Group K to secure their first points of the qualifying campaign.
The home side showed resilience, overturning a 2-1 deficit to secure a crucial victory and spark massive jubilation among the home fans.
The Group K result means, Uganda leads the group with 10 points, followed by South Africa with eight. South Sudan’s victory brings them to three points, just behind Congo on four points.
With just one match remaining, third-placed Congo cannot overtake Uganda and South Africa paving the way for the top two countries to qualify for the 2025 TotalEnergies AFCON in Morocco.
It was Congo that showed the determination to win the match and opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Christopher Ibayi headed home from close range.
South Sudan quickly responded through Ebon Malish in the 31st minute, leveling the game with a powerful header.However, Congo regained their lead just four minutes later, as Ibayi scored his second with a well-taken shot from a tight angle.
South Sudan fought back fiercely, and Malish equalized once again in the 45+2′ minute, heading in a cross from William Gama.With momentum on their side, South Sudan continued to press in the second half.
The turning point came in the 78th minute, as Bryan Passi of Congo received a red card, reducing the visitors to 10 men.
In the 84th minute, substitute Data Elly scored the winning goal with a clinical finish, securing South Sudan’s first win of the campaign. This result boosts their standings, as they now sit one point behind Congo in Group K.
