Seychelles, Lesotho play to draw in TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 qualifier

South Sudan have one foot in the group stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027 after a big win over Djibouti in the first leg of their Preliminary Round clash in Juba on Thursday, while COSAFA rivals Seychelles and Lesotho played to a 0-0 draw.

The two fixtures follow a 2-0 win for Eritrea over Eswatini in the opening Preliminary Round clash on Wednesday.

South Sudan have taken a 4-0 lead in their tie following victory at the Juba Stadium on Thursday, nominally their away fixture but played at their home ground.

Newcomer Teng Kuol gave the Sudanese the lead just past the half-hour mark, which they held until the break.

The second period was more one-sided as South Sudan added goals through Bangasi Bakasoro, Peter Maker and Keer Majak.

It is their biggest victory since they beat the same Djibouti in a TotalEnergies CAF AFCON qualifier in 2017.

The teams will meet again at the same venue on Sunday for the second leg.

Seychelles and Lesotho could not be separated at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein as they played out a goalless draw.

Seychelles have selected several new players for this squad such as Jeremy Nourrice, Kelvin Cupidon, Brandon Fanchette and Chris Uranie, and kept a clean sheet in a competitive fixture for the first time since a TotalEnergies CAF AFCON qualifier against the same Lesotho in 2022.

They will do it all again at the same venue, also on Sunday.

The six teams who advance through the Preliminary Round will join the other 42 Member Associations in the Group Phase.

The continental finals will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania next year, the first time they have been staged in East Africa in 51 years.