Senegal vs South Sudan Prediction: A crushing defeat for the South Sudanese

On Saturday, Senegal will open their campaign for qualification to the 2026 World Cup through the CAF when they take on South Sudan at the Stade Me Abdoulaye Wade. The Aliou Cisse-coached team is the favorite to advance from Group B, but they must keep a close eye on their rivals to make sure they do not suffer any surprises on their way to a potential fourth appearance in the world championship.

Senegal, the current holders of the African Cup of Nations title, will attempt to win all three of their matches this coming weekend in order to get off to the best possible start in their quest to qualify for the World Cup in 2026. Even though it is anticipated that DR Congo will make advancement difficult for the Lions of Teranga, the Lions of Teranga are still the favorites to finish on top of Group B. The players led by Cisse can only concentrate on themselves, beginning with their match against South Sudan in Diamniadio this coming Saturday. Senegal has won all but one of their home matches under their boss in World Cup qualification. That match was a goalless draw with Burkina Faso in September 2017, and the current champions of the continental competition are looking to continue their winning streak this weekend. The Lions of Teranga are placed in a position where they have to play catch-up after the first 90 minutes of play if they are unable to win, which is a scenario that may be avoided if the standards are met.

Even though it is quite doubtful that South Sudan will make it to the 2026 World Cup, they have a chance to make Group B more interesting by competing magnificently. Nicolas Dupuis just took over as head coach of the Bright Stars, succeeding Stefano Cusin in that role. The former manager of Madagascar hopes to surprise the team that is expected to win on Saturday. Due to the fact that they have to compete with countries that possess skills that are orders of magnitude higher than their own, South Sudan has never made it to a World Cup. This is not anticipated to change this time around, as the landlocked country is one of the lowest-ranked sides in qualification. Despite the fact that this puts them in a position where they are fighting a losing battle in Senegal, Cusin will hope that his men can compete at the weekend, even if it is believed that they will lose. It is not expected that the visitors will finish as one of the four best runners-up in the African section; thus, their absence of fight and doggedness poses a significant risk that they will suffer a crushing loss.

Senegal is regarded as one of the main contenders to win this group and advance directly to the World Cup in 2026. The team coached by Aliou Cisse is in excellent position to begin their qualification campaign with a comfortable victory over one of the lowest-ranked sides on the continent. South Sudan will play a compact, low-block formation in an effort to limit the space afforded to their star-studded hosts and catch their opponents off guard when they break away. Senegal is the reigning champion of Africa, and they have confidently secured a spot for the championship defense to be held in Ivory Coast. The Teranga Lions have a number of players who are capable of beating the best in the world, but they would be well not to underestimate their competition. My money is on the home team to not only win, but to win convincingly and keep a clean sheet in the process.