Djibouti edge South Sudan but suffer elimination from AFCON 2027 qualifying

Djibouti registered their first Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win since 2017 after they edged South Sudan 1–0 in the second leg of their 2027 AFCON preliminary round duel. South Sudan emerged 4–1 winners on aggregate as they progressed to the group stage of qualifying.

The Juba National Stadium once again hosted the return leg of the encounter, with the Bright Stars holding a comprehensive 4–0 lead over the Sharks of the Red Sea from the first leg. It was an evenly matched affair with limited scoring chances at both ends.

Samuel Akinbinu should have opened the scoring with the space and time he had in the 8th minute, but he failed to make a meaningful attempt on goal. South Sudan winger Keer Mangar struck wide at the other end ten minutes later.

The second half saw a more organized Djiboutian side as they pushed to get goals. Mangar forced a save from Djibouti keeper Moktar Youssouf with a curling effort at the hour mark.

Akinbinu finally got the winner in the 77th minute when he struck into an open goal after a good run and setup by second-half substitute Gabriel Dadzie. Abdullahi Youssouf should have made it two ten minutes before time but failed to convert.

South Sudan pushed to get the equalizer in the dying moments of the tie and were rewarded with efforts from Rahan Angier and Mangar. Both strikes were cleared by midfielder Idriss Houmed and Youssouf as Djibouti held firm for a famous win despite losing on the aggregate score.

FT: Djibouti 🇩🇯 1-0 South Sudan 🇸🇸

Samuel Akinbinu strikes late to give Djibouti only their 5th competitive victory since 2000 but it is not enough to overcome a first leg defeat.

South Sudan advances to the group stage of qualifying following the result.#TotalEnergiesAFCON pic.twitter.com/yOhDeGpXPz

— Pan-Africa Football (@PanAfricaFooty) March 29, 2026

South Sudan secured their passage to the 2027 AFCON group qualifiers, although questions will be asked about their poor performance against the lowly-ranked Djiboutian side. Djibouti last won a competitive tie in 2024 during an African Nations Championship (CHAN) game against Rwanda. They have only registered four competitive wins since 2000, with today’s victory being their fifth.