Former Ghana coach, Kwasi Appiah’s Sudan’s remarkable run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers continued on Saturday evening as they held tournament favourites Senegal to a hard-fought 0-0 draw in Benghazi, Libya.
Sudan remains undefeated and leads Group B with 11 points from five games, two more than Senegal and one more than second-place DR Congo.
The draw puts additional pressure on the Lions of Teranga ahead of their Tuesday matchup with Togo.
Senegal found it difficult to defeat a disciplined and tough Sudanese side that has emerged as the group’s surprise package, despite having more experience and firepower.
The Sudanese goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa’s error in the first minute gave the 2021 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations champions a chance to take the lead, but he recovered in time.
Despite the Lions’ constant possession dominance, Sudan appeared to be the more formidable opponent.
Sudan may have had the finest opportunity of the first half when a striker dribbled past Edouard Mendy in the 20th minute but missed the mark with the goal open.
Just before halftime, Senegal missed another close-range opportunity and squandered a one-on-one opportunity at the other end.
In the second half, Sudan emerged with a newfound sense of confidence. Mendy was called upon once more only three minutes after the restart, parrying a long-range attempt before smothering the rebound under pressure.
After the follow-up, Sudan’s attacker went down in the box, and their penalty appeals were dismissed.
Sadio Mané’s acrobatic connection with a loose ball in the box in the 54th minute was Senegal’s best moment, but the Sudanese keeper was beaten when he sent his overhead kick over the bar.
In the 76th minute, Walieldin Khidir scuffed wide from within the area, missing a fantastic opportunity to win it for Sudan. Four minutes later, Mané threatened at the other end once more, but his attempt was deflected.
In a thrilling match that demonstrated Sudan’s tactical precision and Senegal’s mounting annoyance, neither team was able to emerge victorious despite late pressure.
With this outcome, Senegal will have a difficult time reclaiming the top slot in the group, while Sudan will still hope to make their first-ever World Cup appearance. Tuesday’s next set of games might be the deciding factor.
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