Hazem Mamdouh, the Egyptian ambassador to South Sudan, has revealed that football is not the most popular sport in the country. In an interview with Modern, Mamdouh discussed the upcoming match between Egypt and South Sudan, which will take place on Tuesday as part of the African qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The match will be the first visit of the Egyptian national team to South Sudan since the country's independence in 2011.
Mamdouh described the current weather conditions in South Sudan, stating that the temperature is around 32 degrees Celsius with minimal rainfall, which will not affect the match. He also mentioned that the stadium hosting the match can accommodate 7 or 8 thousand spectators. The Egyptian team is preparing for the match, which is part of Group 2 of the qualifiers, that also includes Malawi, Angola, and South Sudan.
The ambassador highlighted that basketball is a more popular sport in South Sudan than football. He also expressed his disappointment that Mohamed Salah, a symbol of Egyptian football, will not be present in South Sudan for the match. Mamdouh noted that Salah has a significant following globally and is particularly popular in South Sudan, where he has gained a large fan base since Mamdouh's arrival at the embassy.
The Egyptian national team is coming off a goalless draw against Angola in the first round of the qualifiers, while South Sudan lost to Malawi 2-1. The team is led by coach Hossam Hassan and is seeking to secure a win in the second round. Mamdouh emphasized the importance of this visit and the match, which marks a significant event in the history of Egyptian-South Sudanese relations.
The match between Egypt and South Sudan will take place on Tuesday at 16:00 local time. The referee for the match has been announced as Ahmed Imtiaz. Egypt's team has been dealing with some absences, including Mohamed Abdel Monem, who was ruled out of the match due to injury. The team's manager, Ibrahim Hassan, made the announcement earlier.
The African qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations continue with several matches scheduled for this week. Other matches in Group 2 include Malawi against Angola and South Sudan against Egypt. The top teams in each group will qualify for the tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
In preparation for the match, the Egyptian team has been training intensively, and some players have joined the squad, including Osama Faisal. The team's coach, Hossam Hassan, expressed his confidence in the team's abilities and emphasized the importance of securing a win in the match.
Key points
- Egypt's ambassador to South Sudan discusses football and the upcoming match between Egypt and South Sudan.
- The match between Egypt and South Sudan will take place on Tuesday as part of the African qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
- Football is not the most popular sport in South Sudan, with basketball being more widely followed.
