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Sudan has beaten Ghana 1-0 at Omdurman, making Bafana Bafana’s qualification for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations that much more difficult.
Mohamed Abdelrahman scored a last-gasp goal two minutes into injury time to deliver the 128th-ranked Sudanese a famous victory against 48th-ranked Ghana at Al Hilal Stadium.
Coach Molefi Ntseki’s South Africa had been confident in their qualifying chances after Friday’s 2-0 and 4-2 wins against Sao Tome and Principe in Durban and Port Elizabeth on Monday put the Bafana in a solid position in Group C.
Had Ghana maintained its 100 percent winning record in Sudan on Tuesday afternoon, it would have seen the Black Stars rank with 12 points from four games, South Africa with nine, Sudan with three and Sao Tome with zero.
Bafana would have needed a point from their last two games in March next year at home to Ghana and away from Sudan to be sure of qualification. And that was only if Sudan won its penultimate away game against São Tomé.
On the other hand, Ghana and South Africa are in nine points and Sudan in six. If the Bafana lose their next game against Ghana at home, and Sudan beats São Tomé, the two teams will be tied nine points into the final match, leaving South Africa having to travel to the Sudan heat in need of a result.
Shakes Mashaba’s Bafana defeated Sudan 3-0 at Omdurman’s Al-Merreikh Stadium in September 2014 to get their 2015 Nations Cup qualifying campaign off to a good start. SA won the second leg by a more modest 2-1 at Moses Mabhida Stadium in November 2014 to secure qualification.
However, this Sudan looks like a much more determined combination to overcome, and Ntseki’s Bafana were only able to beat them 1-0 at the FNB Stadium in Cameroon’s current 2022 qualifying campaign in November last year.
Their result against Ghana sends shock waves through the group ‚and will hardly leave South Africans wanting to travel to the desert country of East Africa in need of a result.
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