WCQ 2026: Senegal on the brink after South Sudan win

Ismaila Sarr of Senegal celebrates ©Lamine Faye/BackpagePix

Friday Oct 10, 2025. 17:11

Ismaila Sarr grabbed a brace to help Senegal secure a 5-0 victory over South Sudan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (Group B) match played at the Juba Stadium on Friday afternoon.

As a result, the Lions of Teranga maintained their spot at the top of the Group B standings and they will book their spot in the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and USA, if they end their qualifying campaign with a win over Mauritania on Tuesday in Diamniado.

The Bright Stars, on the other hand, remained sixth in the Group B table after registering their fifth defeat and they will be hoping to wrap up an unsuccessful qualifying campaign with a victory over Togo in Juba on Monday.

It took 29 minutes for Ismaila Sarr to score his 17th international goal to hand Senegal a 1-0 lead with Iliman Ndiaye providing the assist. The score was 1-0 to Senegal at half-time, having dominated the first-half, but the visitors could only score once.

However, the West Africans were more efficient in front of goal after the restart. Sadio Mane extended his record as Senegal’s all-time leading goalscorer when he netted his 46th goal a minute into the second-half with the South Sudan defence exposed.

The 2021 AFCON champions were running rampant as Sarr completed his brace in the 54th minute, before Nicolas Jackson netted his third international goal from the penalty spot to extend Senegal’s lead to 4-0 a minute before the hour mark.

The Bright Stars simply could not contain the Lions of the Teranga, who were hungry for goals. Cherif Ndiaye, who had replaced Jackson in the 63rd minute, put the final nail in South Sudan’s coffin in the 76th minute – sealing Senegal’s emphatic 5-0 win.

Sudan (0) 0

Senegal (1) 5 (Sarr 29, 54′, Mane 46′, Jackson 59′, C. Ndiaye 76′)

South Sudan: Mawith, Wani (Okocha 61′), Toha, Atendele, Adebo, Malish (Sebit D. O. 61′), Chan, Majak (Akech 74′), Chol, Yuel (Ronald J P. 61′), Okello (Riak 61′)

Senegal: E. Mendy, Diatta, Niakhate, Koulibaly, Diouf, Gueye (Niasse 72′), P. M. Sarr, I. Ndiaye (Camara 71′), I. Sarr (Ciss 63), S. Mane (Sabaly 63′), Jackson (C. Ndiaye 63′).