Seeking to bounce back from an opening-day defeat to Morocco, Sudan prepare to take on Guinea-Bissau in their second game of CAF World Cup 2022 qualification Group I.
Hubert Velud's side went down 2-0 to Morocco on the opening day, whereas Guinea-Bissau played out a 1-1 draw with neighbours Guinea.
Match preview
Still seeking their first ever appearance at a World Cup Finals, Sudan advanced to the second round of CAF Qualifying after sinking Chad in the first round, drawing 0-0 at home after a 3-1 away success in the first leg.
However, Velud's side were never expected to get the better of Morocco - a team 89 places higher than them in the FIFA World Rankings - on the opening day in Group I, as Nayef Aguerd's 10th-minute opener preceded Abuaagla Abdalla's own goal in a 2-0 defeat.
Sudan resumed qualification for the 2022 World Cup after booking their spot in the African Cup of Nations for the first time since 2012 earlier this year, and they also entered the opening game on the back of a 3-0 friendly win over Niger, but the defeat to Morocco has brought them crashing back down to earth.
This week's hosts have lost just two of their last seven games at home, and Velud refused to let heads drop following their opening-day defeat to Morocco, insisting that his side "did not have to be ashamed" of losing to the world's 32nd-ranked nation as they sit bottom of the pile.
Guinea-Bissau also had to navigate a two-legged first round clash to make it this far in Qualifying, where 1-0 and 2-1 victories over 191st-ranked Sao Tome and Principe gave them a simple route into the group stage, where they would meet close neighbours Guinea.
Baciro Cande's men were on the back foot within seven minutes as Lokomotiv Moscow forward Francois Kamano put Guinea ahead, but Joseph Mendes's fourth goal in nine games for his country ensured that Guinea-Bissau would claim a share of the spoils.
As is the case with Sudan, Guinea-Bissau will also be aiming to make a name for themselves at the African Cup of Nations next year - their third appearance at the proper tournament in a row - but the world's 109th-ranked nation are still seeking their inaugural World Cup appearance since independence from Portugal.
Tuesday's game marks the first time ever that Guinea-Bissau and Sudan have locked horns, but the two sides will also meet in the group stage of next year's AFCON tournament, giving both sides a sense of each other's strengths and weaknesses before the New Year rolls around.
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Team News
Sudan did not report any fresh injury concerns from the opening day, but attacker Ahmed Ibrahim Elnour was hooked after 45 minutes and could find his spot in jeopardy here.
Ahmed Saeed replaced his teammate at half time in the encounter and will be vying for a spot in the first XI here, while captain Nasr Eldin El Shigail is set for his 60th cap, which will see him go level with El Muez Mahgoub in third on his nation's all-time list.
Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau are unlikely to make many alterations from their draw with neighbours Guinea, with Niort striker Mendes holding his place up top over Alexandre Mendy.
Mama Balde and Moreto Cassama - who also ply their trades in France with Troyes and Reims respectively - are set to operate behind Mendes, but Monaco man Pele may have to make do with a spot on the bench.
Former Nottingham Forest and Reading loanee Alfa Semedo is expected to earn another start in midfield, while another notable name in Porto's Nanu should feature at right-back.
Sudan possible starting lineup:
Abu-Eshrein; Eltahir, Merghani, Abdalla, Suliman; Alhassan, Abuaagla, El Shigail; Mahjoub, Abdelrahman, Saeed
Guinea-Bissau possible starting lineup:
Jonas Mendes; Nanu, Rudinilson, Sangante, Cande; Bura, Semedo; Piqueti, Cassama, Balde; Joseph Mendes
We say: Sudan 1-2 Guinea-Bissau
A cagey affair could be in store as both sides seek to feel each other out for the first time before renewing hostilities in a highly-anticipated AFCON tournament next year.
Velud has remained upbeat despite his side's opening defeat, but Guinea-Bissau boast a few more notable names in the ranks, and we can see the visitors emerging from a close encounter victorious.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Sudan win with a probability of 38.86%. A win for Guinea-Bissau had a probability of 32.9% and a draw had a probability of 28.2%.
The most likely scoreline for a Sudan win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.07%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.02%) and 2-0 (7.33%). The likeliest Guinea-Bissau win was 0-1 (10.87%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.2%). The actual scoreline of 2-4 was predicted with a 0.4% likelihood.
