Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt delivered a dominant performance in Juba on Tuesday, defeating South Sudan 5-0 in the second round of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The victory at Juba National Stadium gave the Pharaohs their first win of the qualifying campaign after they opened Group B with a goalless draw against Angola. It also moved Egypt to four points from two matches and temporarily placed them at the top of the group.
South Sudan, meanwhile, suffered their second consecutive defeat and remain without a point. They previously lost 2-1 to Malawi in their opening qualifier.
Omar Marmoush was the standout performer for Egypt, scoring twice in the second half after being given a starting role in the absence of captain Mohamed Salah. The forward’s goals ended a six-month wait for an international goal and helped transform Egypt’s early control into a convincing away victory.
Egypt began the match aggressively and created two clear opportunities inside the opening five minutes. Mostafa Ziko and Emam Ashour were unable to convert from close range, but the visitors continued to control possession and press South Sudan deep inside their own half.
The breakthrough arrived in the 36th minute. Egypt left-back Ahmed Fattouh delivered a cross from the left, and Ziko met it with a powerful finish to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The goal rewarded Egypt’s early pressure and left South Sudan with a difficult task. The hosts struggled to build sustained attacks and were unable to seriously test Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir during the first half.
Egypt went into the interval with a narrow advantage, but they quickly extended their lead after the restart. In the 49th minute, Marmoush raced onto a long pass from Mohanad Lasheen, found himself behind the South Sudan defense and calmly finished past the goalkeeper.
The second goal gave Egypt greater freedom in possession. South Sudan attempted to respond, but the Pharaohs continued to create openings through quick movement in the final third and pressure on the hosts’ defense.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan made changes during the second half, including bringing on Ibrahim Adel. The substitution had an immediate effect. Adel scored Egypt’s third goal in the 75th minute after receiving a cross from Marwan Attia and advancing into the penalty area before firing the ball past the goalkeeper.
Eight minutes later, Marmoush completed his brace. He received a cross inside the box, rounded the South Sudan goalkeeper and placed the ball into an unguarded net. The goal made it 4-0 and ended any remaining doubt about the outcome.
Egypt continued to attack in the closing stages, with substitute Hamza Abdelkarim adding a fifth goal in stoppage time. Abdelkarim followed up after the South Sudan goalkeeper saved an effort from Osama Faisal, converting the rebound to complete the rout.
The result was Egypt’s biggest victory in the opening round of the qualification campaign and provided an important response after the disappointing draw with Angola. It also offered Hassan a positive outcome following criticism of the team’s slow start in the first match.
Marmoush’s performance was particularly significant. With Salah rested, the Eintracht Frankfurt forward assumed greater responsibility in attack and provided the decisive contribution. Salah was reportedly left out of the squad for the match partly because of concerns about the artificial-turf playing surface. Marmoush took advantage of the opportunity, scoring twice and leading the Egyptian attack with pace and direct running.
The victory leaves Egypt with four points in Group B. Malawi entered the round with three points and was positioned behind Egypt, while Angola had one point. South Sudan remained bottom without a point. The final standings could change depending on the result of the Malawi-Angola fixture.
The top two teams from each qualifying group will advance to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals. The tournament will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
For South Sudan, the defeat exposed the gap between the team and one of Africa’s most experienced national sides. The hosts showed determination but struggled to maintain possession and were repeatedly vulnerable to Egypt’s movement behind the defensive line.
Egypt’s defensive performance was also important. After scoring five goals, the visitors kept a clean sheet and prevented South Sudan from producing a sustained spell of pressure. The defensive stability allowed the midfield and forwards to play with increasing confidence as the match progressed.
The match was officiated by a Mauritian refereeing team. Ahmed Imtiaz served as the referee, with Louis Ralph Fabien and Aswit Tilok appointed as assistant referees. Jean Brandy Stevie was the fourth official.
Egypt will now look to build on the result as the qualification campaign continues. The emphatic win has strengthened their position in Group B and restored confidence after the opening draw. For Hassan, the challenge will be to maintain that attacking momentum while preparing the team for stronger opponents later in the campaign.
With Marmoush back among the goals, Egypt’s substitutes making a decisive impact and the defense recording a clean sheet, the Pharaohs produced one of the most complete performances of the second round of qualifying.
