In a top-of-the-table battle, Sudan and Senegal will clash at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in neutral Libya on Saturday evening in round five of their 2026 World Cup qualifying series in Africa.
The Falcons of Jediane have emerged as one of the biggest surprises of the campaign, sitting top of Group B with 10 points, two ahead of the Teranga Lions in second place.
Match preview
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In a strong position to qualify for their first-ever World Cup, with three wins and a draw, Sudan's remarkable journey in the ongoing qualifying rounds did not begin in the most emphatic fashion.
The Northeast Africans were held to a 1-1 draw by Togo in their opening game in November 2023, as Mohamed Eisa's early penalty was cancelled out by Kevin Denkey's strike just before the break.
Since then, Sudan have been flawless in the qualifiers, edging Congo DR 1-0 three days later before dispatching Mauritania and South Sudan with 2-0 and 3-0 victories, respectively, in their June 2024 double-header.
That impressive run carried into their African Cup of Nations preliminaries, where they finished second in Group F with eight points from two wins, two draws and two defeats to secure a spot in the tournament in Morocco.
Sudan also made it to the African Nations Championship after overcoming Ethiopia 4-1 on aggregate, after a second shot at qualification following a penalty shootout loss to co-hosts Tanzania after both sides had won 1-0 on home soil.
James Kwesi Appiah's men head into this clash following a goalless draw against Oman in a friendly last week, extending their unbeaten run to four matches — momentum they will look to build on as they fight to stay top of the standings.
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Tipped as favourites to top Group B, Senegal now find themselves in second place with eight points from two wins and two draws under the guidance of Pape Thiaw.
The former Senegal international was appointed in December 2024 following the dismissal of Aliou Cisse, who oversaw their previous World Cup qualifying fixtures.
The Teranga Lions made a flying start to their campaign with a 4-0 demolition of South Sudan, but they were held to a goalless stalemate by Togo three days later before heading to the AFCON in Ivory Coast.
What began as a dominant showing, with a perfect nine points in the group stage, ended in heartbreak as they crashed out on penalties to the hosts in the round of 16.
That remains Senegal's only defeat since, with the West Africans currently on a 12-match unbeaten streak across competitive and friendly fixtures.
Two of those encounters formed part of their four World Cup qualifiers so far, yielding a draw against Congo DR and a 1-0 victory over Mauritania in the June 2024 double-header.
Senegal then stamped their authority in the AFCON preliminaries, finishing top of Group F with five wins and a draw to confirm their ticket to Morocco.
They later secured a spot at the CHAN tournament with a commanding 4-1 aggregate victory over Liberia, following up a 1-1 away result with a dominant 3-0 display on home soil.
Now aiming for a place in the World Cup, Thiaw's men have the chance to leapfrog Sudan at the summit of Group B, and they can take confidence from their flawless record in this fixture, having won all three previous meetings — one in a friendly and the other two in AFCON qualifiers.
Team News
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Sudan head coach Appiah has named a 27-man squad for the crucial double-header against Senegal and South Sudan, with the majority of players drawn from domestic powerhouses Al Hilal and Al Merrikh.
Influential defender Ramadan Agab and his Merrikh teammates Youssef Ali Fajr, goalkeeper Ahmed Peter El-Fatih and Khamis Bakhit have all retained their places.
Team captain and star striker Mohamed Abdelrahman will spearhead the attack, with the 31-year-old looking to add to his impressive tally of 23 goals.
Abdelrahman is now just five strikes away from surpassing Nasr El-Din Abbas as the national team's all-time top scorer.
Senegal boss Thiaw has freshened up his squad with six new call-ups for the encounters against Sudan and Togo, including Antoine Mendy, Yehvann Diouf, Ilay Camara, Cheikh Niasse and Richard Sagna, all of whom are in line for their debuts.
The most eye-catching inclusion is Assane Diao, with the 19-year-old Como winger opting to represent Senegal over Spain after featuring for the European nation's youth sides, ending weeks of speculation over his international future.
Star attacker Sadio Mane missed Senegal's last two qualifiers in June 2024 due to a thigh injury, but he returned to lead the charge as they secured their place at the 2025 AFCON.
The winger played a pivotal role, netting three goals in six matches, and will now be looking to add to his two-goal tally in this World Cup qualifying campaign, having struck twice against South Sudan in November 2023.
One notable absentee is Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury that has kept him out of action since February.
Sudan possible starting lineup:
Mustafa; Gadin, Hagi, Agab, Khames; Raouf, Abdalla, Khedr; Muzammil, Gharbal, Teiri
Senegal possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Seck, Koulibaly, Diallo; Diarra, Diatta, Gueye, Sarr; Diallo, Mane, Sarr
We say: Sudan 0-1 Senegal
Both teams come into this clash in strong form, but despite Sudan's impressive run in the qualifiers, playing at a neutral venue could prove a disadvantage as they face their toughest test yet against a side of Senegal's calibre.
While the Teranga Lions are expected to assert their status as favourites, breaking down Northeast Africans' well-organised defence — having conceded just once in the campaign — will not be straightforward.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
