Sudan will face Ethiopia on Friday, 25 September, as the two sides begin their campaigns in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The Matchday 1 fixture will be played at the Juba National Stadium in Juba, South Sudan, with Sudan unable to host the match in Khartoum because of the strife in the country.
Juba, in neighbouring South Sudan, has instead been selected to stage the game and is described in the article as being more peaceful and having the resources required to host the fixture.
Sudan enter the match as the favourites despite a difficult recent run of results.
They have suffered four defeats in their past five matches, but their record in this fixture provides encouragement ahead of the meeting with Ethiopia.
The two teams are seeking a return to the glory days of African football and will be hoping to make a positive start to their qualification campaign.
Prediction figures give Sudan a 38.15% probability of winning the match, while Ethiopia have a 34.6% chance of victory. A draw is given a 27.25% probability.
The most likely scoreline for a Sudan victory is 1-0, with a 10.62% probability. A 2-1 win for Sudan is the next most likely outcome at 7.98%, followed by a 2-0 victory at 6.61%.
For Ethiopia, the most likely winning scoreline is a 1-0 victory, represented as 0-1, with a 10.28% probability. The most likely draw is 1-1, which has a 12.59% probability.
Sudan’s recent record in the fixture is one of the factors behind the prediction in their favour.
The article notes that when playing at home, Sudan have rarely been troubled by Ethiopia and have won seven of their last 10 outings.
Although they will not enjoy a conventional home advantage in Juba, Sudan will still aim to make the most of the opportunity to begin their qualifying campaign with three points.
Ethiopia, meanwhile, arrive with a considerably more positive run of form.
The Walia Antelopes are unbeaten in their last four matches and have won three of those games. Their recent preparations included victories over Sao Tome et Principe and a win and draw against Malawi.
However, those four matches were all played at home, highlighting a potential concern ahead of Friday’s fixture in Juba.
Ethiopia have struggled when playing away from home, losing three of their last four matches on the road.
That record will be tested against a Sudan side that, despite its own recent problems, has traditionally enjoyed success against Ethiopia in this fixture.
The match therefore brings contrasting recent records into focus.
Sudan are looking to recover from a sequence of defeats and take advantage of their strong record in the fixture, while Ethiopia will attempt to carry their unbeaten run into a difficult away assignment.
With both teams beginning their pursuit of a place at the 2027 AFCON, Friday’s meeting in Juba offers an early opportunity to establish momentum in the qualifying campaign.
Match details
Fixture: Sudan vs Ethiopia
Date: Friday, 25 September 2026
Venue: Juba National Stadium, Juba, South Sudan
Competition: 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
Stage: Matchday 1
