Posted by Siseko Tapile
1 Comments
When South Sudan national football team hosted Togo national football team on Monday, October 13, 2025, the stakes felt oddly low – both sides had already said goodbye to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match unfolded at Juba Stadium in South Sudan’s capital, with kickoff at 13:00 UTC (15:00 local). FIFA World Cup 2026 CAF Qualifiers – Round 10Juba Stadium ended in a goalless draw, sealing the final chapter of both campaigns.
Group B has been a study in contrast. Cape Verde surged ahead early, eventually clinching the group and the coveted automatic African slot for the World Cup. South Sudan scraped together five points from ten matches – five draws, five defeats – never tasting a win. Togo fared just a shade better, adding a solitary victory to their eight‑point haul, but that wasn’t enough to leapfrog into the knockout‑round playoff.
The last‑place team, Eswatini, was already out, and the match in Juba was essentially a dead rubber. Still, fans turned out, hoping for pride, maybe a rare win to end the night on a high note.
South Sudan kicked off with a modest eleven, led between the sticks by Majak Maling (jersey 23). The back four – Benjamin Laku, Samuel Taban, Okocha Rashid and Geriga Atendele – set up a compact, low‑block defense. In midfield, Peter Chan tried to dictate tempo, while Mario Taban shuffled the ball laterally. Up front, Keer Majak and Joseph Dhata pressed, but the lack of a clinical finisher was evident.
Togo’s eleven mirrored a similar shape: goalkeeper Kossi Akpovi guarded the net, while the defense – Koffi Vava, Alphonse Sambiri, Bertrand Ahoua and Mamadou Kakou – kept a tight line. Midfield trio of Yao Annor, Gervais Yenoussi and Valentino Yuel shuffled possession, while the forwards Eric Agyemang and Moussa Koita only managed a handful of half‑chances.
The first half was a series of fouls, the most notable at the 36th minute when Peter Chan was booked for a mistimed tackle. Neither side threatened the goal. The second half saw a flurry of changes: at 56 minutes, John Manyang replaced Chan, and Togo responded by pulling off their own three‑player shuffle – Y. Annor for Yenoussi, Valentino Yuel for Majak, and so on. The substitutions injected fresh legs but not a breakthrough. By the 78th minute everything settled into a rhythm of cautious passes and a few half‑volley attempts that fizzed out just beyond the box.
Even the late‑stage fouls – a second booking for John Manyang at 86 minutes – couldn’t spark a response. The whistle blew, the score remained 0‑0, and both camps collected a point that would ultimately be meaningless for qualification.
South Sudan’s head coach John Obasi was blunt in his post‑match interview: “We showed spirit, we defended well, but we lacked the cutting edge. A draw against a team of Togo’s calibre is respectable, yet we need a striker who can finish.” He praised the defensive solidity, especially the performance of Geriga Atendele, who “kept the line organized until the final whistle.”
On the Togo side, coach Claude Le Roy (the French veteran) expressed mild disappointment: “We had chances, especially after the 60th minute. The squad fought hard, but a goalless draw won’t move us forward. We must regroup, focus on the upcoming African Nations Championship.” A senior player, Eric Agyemang, added, “It hurts because we expected to at least take three points. Still, the fans deserved a decent show, and they gave us that.”
Local supporters in Juba, meanwhile, sang the national anthem loudly after the final whistle, waving flags despite the result. One fan, 19‑year‑old Miriam, told reporters, “It’s not about winning the World Cup; it’s about showing the world that South Sudan can host a proper match. We’re proud.”
The immediate impact is simple: both teams are out of the race. South Sudan finishes 6th with a 0‑5‑5 record, confirming a winless campaign – a stark reminder that the young football nation still has a long way to go. Togo’s 4th‑place finish, with just one win, leaves them on the periphery of African football’s elite. Their modest point total underscores the widening gap between the continent’s emerging sides and the established powerhouses like Egypt or Senegal.
On a broader level, the match highlights CAF’s competitive format. With only five automatic spots and a playoff for a potential sixth, many nations see their hopes evaporate before the final round. Analysts at BBC Sport argue that the current system rewards depth and consistency – qualities South Sudan lacks but Cape Verde demonstrated brilliantly.
Financially, the draw offers little relief. Ticket sales for the Juba match were modest; the match‑day revenue covered only a fraction of stadium operating costs. For the South Sudanese federation, the result may trigger a review of youth development programs and coaching education, areas already identified as under‑funded.
Both federations have already outlined short‑term roadmaps. South Sudan intends to host a regional U‑23 tournament later this year, hoping to give young talent exposure and to attract scouting interest. The federation also announced a partnership with a European club academy to train coaches – a move aimed at turning the defensive solidity seen in Juba into a more attacking philosophy.
Togo, on the other hand, will focus on the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) in early 2026. Coach Le Roy hinted at a squad reshuffle, with a few European‑based players expected to join the camp. The goal, according to the Togolese Football Federation, is to finish in the top three at CHAN, a stepping stone toward a stronger World Cup qualifying campaign next cycle.
For fans, the next encounter between the two sides might not happen until the next qualifying window, but the memory of a quiet night in Juba will linger – a reminder that even a goalless draw can carry a story worth telling.
The draw confirms South Sudan’s elimination. Finishing sixth with zero wins leaves them with just five points, far behind the group winner Cape Verde (13 points). The team must now look to regional tournaments for development.
Togo remains out of contention. Their single win and eight points place them fourth, three points shy of the playoff spot. The team will redirect focus to the upcoming African Nations Championship to rebuild confidence.
Beyond qualification, hosting a World Cup qualifier showcases South Sudan’s ability to stage international events, boosts national pride, and provides local players with exposure to higher‑level competition.
The next likely encounter is during the 2026 African Nations Championship qualifiers, scheduled for early 2026. A friendly could be arranged, but no official date has been set yet.
With only five automatic spots, many African nations face early exits, prompting calls for a revised system that offers more playoff opportunities. Critics argue the current format favors traditionally strong nations and hampers growth in emerging football countries.
Comments
Daisy Pimentel
We seem to have turned a potential moment of pride into a lesson on complacency. The stadium echoed with chants, yet the teams offered only a muted display of ambition. One could argue that spectators deserve more than a polite pat on the back for merely showing up. In the grand theater of football, a scoreless draw is a whisper when a roar is demanded. So let us not celebrate participation alone; let us demand progress.
October 14, 2025 at 01:00