Sudan vs. Senegal: WCQ Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

On Saturday night, in the fifth match of their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign in Africa, Sudan, and Senegal will face off at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in neutral Libya. The match is a top-of-the-table fight.

With ten points, two more than the Teranga Lions, the Falcons of Jediane have become one of the most unexpected teams this season, leading Group B.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Even though Sudan is in a great position to make it to their first World Cup after three victories and a tie in the qualifying stages, they didn't get off to the best start.

Togo held the Northeast Africans to a 1-1 draw in their first encounter in November 2023. Shortly before halftime, Kevin Denkey scored to equalize after Mohamed Eisa's early penalty.

Since then, Sudan has been unbeaten in qualifying, winning its June 2024 doubleheader against South Sudan 3-0 and Mauritania 2-0. Three days later, they edged Congo DR 1-0.

They continued that winning streak into the preliminary round of the African Cup of Nations when they placed second in Group F with eight points (two victories, two draws, and two losses) and earned a trip to Morocco for the tournament.

Additionally, Sudan qualified for the African Nations Championship by defeating Ethiopia 4-1 on aggregate. This came after they lost in a penalty shootout to co-hosts Tanzania in their first attempt at qualifying after each team had won 1-0 at home.

In a friendly last week, James Kwesi Appiah's team played to a scoreless draw against Oman, extending their undefeated record to four matches. They will be looking to build on that momentum as they battle for the top spot in the rankings, and this encounter is no exception.

Pape Thiaw's Senegal is currently in second place in Group B despite being heavy favorites to win the tournament. They have eight points after two victories and two draws.

In December 2024, the former Senegalese international was named to the position after Aliou Cisse, who had supervised their prior World Cup qualification matches, was fired.

After getting off to a blistering start with a 4-0 thrashing of South Sudan, the Teranga Lions were held scoreless by Togo three days later before making their way to the AFCON in Ivory Coast.

Their disappointing elimination at the hands of the hosts on penalties in the round of 16 capped off an impressive performance that started with a pristine nine points in the group stage.

Although they are now riding a 12-match winning run across all competitions, Senegal has only lost once since then.

They have played two of these matches in their four World Cup qualifying matches so far, drawing with Congo DR and defeating Mauritania 1-0 in a doubleheader in June 2024.

After establishing themselves in the AFCON preliminary round, Senegal cruised to first place in Group F with five victories and a tie, securing their spot in Morocco.

They went on to beat Liberia 4-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw away and a 3-0 thrashing at home, ensuring their berth in the CHAN competition.

With a spot in the World Cup on the line, Thiaw's squad may take heart from their perfect record against Sudan in this game, having won all three previous encounters (a friendly and two AFCON qualifiers). They can also use this opportunity to move up to first position in Group B.

Sudan x Senegal Team News 

Sudan head coach Appiah has selected a 27-man roster for the pivotal doubleheader against Senegal and South Sudan. The bulk of the players come from local heavyweights Al Hilal and Al Merrikh.

Youssef Ali Fajr, Khamis Bakhit, Ahmed Peter El-Fatih, and influential defender Ramadan Agab have all kept their positions for Merrikh.

The assault will be led by team captain and star striker Mohamed Abdelrahman, who, at 31, is aiming to add to his remarkable goal total of 23.

In terms of goals scored by national team players, Abdelrahman is currently within five goals of Nasr El-Din Abbas for the record.

Thiaw, Senegal's coach, has bolstered his roster with six debutants—Antoine Mendy, Yehvann Diouf, Ilay Camara, Cheikh Niasse, and Richard Sagna—to face Sudan and Togo, respectively.

The most striking addition is the 19-year-old winger Assane Diao, who has finally put an end to weeks of doubt about his international future by choosing to play for Senegal instead of Spain after having played for the minor teams of the European country.

After sitting out the last two qualifiers in June 2024 with a thigh injury, Senegal's star forward Sadio Mane came back to spearhead their push and earn a spot in the 2025 AFCON.

This winger was instrumental, scoring three goals in six matches. He has already scored twice in this World Cup qualifying season, against South Sudan in November 2023, and will aim to add to that total.

Nicolas Jackson, a Chelsea striker, will not be participating due to his ongoing hamstring ailment, which has sidelined him since February.

Our Predictions

Senegal to win @ 1.50 on Sky247.ng

Even though Sudan had a great run in the qualifications, they may be at a disadvantage playing on a neutral pitch against Senegal, their best opponent thus far. Both sides are in good condition going into this match.

Even though the Teranga Lions are heavy favorites, the Northeast Africans' well-organized defense (which has allowed only one goal all season) will be tough to overcome.

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