Sudan vs Niger Prediction: Sudan have what it takes to win

The Juba Stadium will host the round one of the 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifying encounter between Sudan and Niger. The two teams will head into this game with the confidence of proving a point. How will they respond here?

Sudan's last matches into this qualifier saw them pick up wins over South Sudan in a 0-3 encounter. In that game, Sudan took the lead through Walieldin Khidir’s strike before the break. In the meantime, Yasir Mozamil Mohamed and Mohamed Abdel Raman both got on the scoresheet in the second half to give Sudan maximum points in that encounter. Heading into this fixture, Sudan have won three of their last five matches in all competitions, their two defeats coming against Guinea Bissau and Sudan.

Niger have not been at their best lately, but last time out against Congo, this side was awarded a 0-3 win. In the meantime, the prior encounters saw Niger lose to Senegal and Togo while being held to a 1-1 draw by Burkina Faso. In the meantime, their only win in recent matches was against Zambia in the qualifier for the World Cup, which ended 2-1. Heading into this game as underdogs, Niger will have to show character, especially in a road game, as they hope to play in the 2025 AFCON tournament.

This is a tough one to pick, but Sudan should get maximum points for this one. Niger have not impressed in recent months, and while on the road, their chances are even impossible. In the meantime, while this could be a bit competitive, I expect the two teams to focus on defensive play, a game that should end with few goals.