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South Africa qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals yesterday afternoon without kicking a ball as their closest challengers Congo lost 3-2 away to South Sudan in Juba.
Both countries are eliminated after the clash, leaving Uganda and South Africa, who meet in their penultimate Group K clash in Kampala today, guaranteed top two finishes.
The first two sides in the standings in each of the 12 qualifying groups qualify for the finals in Morocco next year.
Congo went down by the odd goal in five as South Sudan registered their first win of the preliminaries. It was also their first points after losing their opening four matches of the campaign.
Striker Christopher Ibayi, who plays in Ligue 2 in France, scored twice in the first half in Juba as Congo took the lead and then went 2-1 up just before the break.
Ebon Malish equalised in the 31st minute and then again in stoppage time at the end of the first half to see the two sides go into break on level terms.
Data Elly then got the winner for South Sudan six minutes from time.
Congo were left stranded on four points from five matches and cannot catch up to Bafana Bafana, who sit second in the group with eight points, or Uganda on 10.
South Africa have now qualified for 12 Cup of Nations finals in 17 attempts, having won the continental title in 1996 and finished runners-up in 1998. They were also semifinalists in2000 and earlier this year at the tournament in the Cote d’lvoire. With Uganda also going through, there are now 13 teams who have booked their place at next year’s finals — Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Ivory Coast, Morocco and Senegal being the other 11 — SuperSport.
Online Reporter