4-0 First-Leg Advantage Proves Decisive as Djibouti Claim Late Consolation Win in Juba.
South Sudan have progressed to the next round of the Total Energies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 qualifiers, despite suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Djibouti in the second leg played in Juba.
Heading into the match with a commanding 4-0 advantage from the first leg, South Sudan did just enough to secure a 4-1 aggregate victory and comfortably book their place in the next stage.
After a quiet first half, Djibouti found the breakthrough in the 77th minute when Samuel Temidayo converted a chance assisted by Gabriel Dadzie. The goal sealed a win on the night for the visitors, but came too late to alter the overall outcome.
South Sudan appeared content to control the tempo and protect their aggregate lead, showing little urgency going forward after their dominant display in the opening leg.
Djibouti, on the other hand, pushed harder in the second half in search of an unlikely comeback but struggled to create clear opportunities until their late goal.
Despite the defeat, South Sudan’s emphatic first-leg performance proved decisive, underlining their attacking strength and securing progression.
Djibouti exit the competition but will take some positives from their improved performance in the return leg, managing to end their campaign with a win.
South Sudan now advance to the next round, where they will look to build on their strong start in the AFCON 2027 qualification journey.
