AFCON (Q): South Sudan demolish Djibouti in lopsided 1st leg

South Sudan’s Bright Stars cruised to a dominant 4-0 first leg victory over Djibouti to kick off their preliminary round clash from 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying on Thursday in the South Sudanese capital of Juba.

Forced to host the first leg in South Sudan due to lacking a CAF-approved home venue, the Horn of Africa nation were overwhelmed by a strong performance from the Bright Stars on a pitch they know well. The two teams will meet again at the same venue on Sunday for the second leg.

Djibouti managed to hold out for the opening half hour but struggled to create opportunities before a set piece goal put the favorites ahead. Bangasi Bakasoro’s free kick from the right wing caused chaos for the Djiboutian defense, who allowed the ball to bounce to the far post where Teng Kuol applied the final touch.

Shortly after halftime, it all fell apart for the Sharks of the Red Sea. An excellent team movement from the Bright Stars in the 49th minute exploited the left wing and Keer Majak crossed low for Bangasi to finish in the penalty area.

Majak’s 66th minute corner kick exposed more poor set piece defending from Djibouti and it was Peter Maker who was unmarked to finish at the edge of the six-yard box. Majak then delivered the final blow himself by weaving through a demoralized Djiboutian defense to finish.

4 goals. 4 scorers. Clean sheet. 🇸🇸

South Sudan put on a show in the AFCON 2027 Qualifiers. 👏 pic.twitter.com/2DiSiGZ02g

— CAF Online (@CAF_Online) March 26, 2026