South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Denis Ejulu
The Sudan national football team is set to lock horns with Niger on Wednesday in their first match in Group F of the 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The two teams are set to play the match at the Juba Olympic Stadium in the capital of South Sudan due to ongoing conflict in Sudan.
James Kwesi Appiah, coach of the Sudanese national team said the game is the first step toward qualification for the tournament which will be held in Morocco on December 21, 2025 till January 18, 2026.
“Our game against Niger is a big game, every country is very good, we prepared very well, all the players are in good form and we hope tomorrow we will give you a good game,” Appiah told journalists on Tuesday during press conference held in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
Appiah said that his team is counting on the massive support of the South Sudanese people because of the close relationship between people of the two countries.
“For me Sudanese and South Sudanese are the same people, and for that reason my players would like to play to let the South Sudanese people enjoy our game,” he disclosed.
Sudan missed out on qualification for the 2024 AFCON tournament that was held in Ivory Coast.
Appiah also praised the surface of the pitch at the newly rehabilitated Juba Olympic Stadium.
Ezzaki Badou, coach of the Niger national team said he expects a great match when the two teams play.
“I think the game will be hard for both teams because we know Sudan did well in their group of qualifications for the World Cup. They are first in their group, two points ahead of Senegal and they have scored five goals without conceding, it means tomorrow we have a strong team in front of us and also we are ready for that, our goal is to be in the 2025 AFCON competition in Morocco,” Badou said.
Badou had a short stint at the helm of the Sudanese national football team before resigning abruptly in late July 2023.
Yusif Daouda Moussa, a member of the Niger football team said the hot weather condition in Juba is expected to determine which team triumphs throughout the 90 minutes of play.
“I think the game tomorrow will be very interesting and difficult for both sides because of the weather conditions, and I also think we have prepared well for the game and we expect to get a good result,” Moussa said.
