South Sudan football team trains in Dakar ahead of their match against Senegal. (SSFA)

South Sudan are looking to earn a surprising victory against star-studded Senegal in their opening FIFA World Cup Africa Qualifiers match on Saturday evening.

The game will take place at Abdallah Wad Stadium in Dakar, at 9:00 PM (Juba Local Time).

Drawn in Group B along with DR Congo, Senegal, Sudan, Togo and Mauritania, South Sudan are looking to secure a historic participation in the global football tournament.

Their immediate opponents are Lions of Terenga, who are the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions after defeating Mohamed Salah’s Egypt in 2022.

With the likes of Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson, Pape Sarr and Ismail Diaz in their squad against South Sudan, it will be difficult for the Bright Stars to salvage a win, but anything can happen in football.

Following the showdown against Senegal, South Sudan will host Mauritania in Dakar on Monday, November 20, due to lack of a functioning standard home stadium.

In June 2024, Bright Stars will travel to Lome to face Togo before the Sudan clash scheduled to be played in Juba later that month.

The newly appointed head coach of the Men’s senior team, Nicolas Dupuis, praised the elite Senegalese men but wants his side to just play football, enjoy the match and learn where necessary from it.

“Tomorrow’s game is a big game for Senegal and South Sudan, and I want the game to be played in a good way for both teams”, the Frenchman said, according to a statement posted on the official Facebook page of SSFA.