Egypt produced a ruthless second-half performance to demolish South Sudan 5-0 in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying clash, with Omar Marmoush scoring twice as the Pharaohs turned a narrow half-time advantage into a commanding victory.
South Sudan remained within touching distance after conceding only once before the break, but Egypt’s quality ultimately proved overwhelming. Four unanswered second-half goals completed an emphatic result for the North African giants.
Ziko Breaks South Sudan’s Resistance
Egypt controlled much of the contest but had to wait until the 36th minute for the breakthrough.
Mustafa Ziko finally unlocked the South Sudan defense, finishing from Ahmed Fatouh’s assist to put Egypt 1-0 ahead.
It was the only goal of the opening 45 minutes, leaving South Sudan with hope of mounting a response after the interval.
That hope, however, quickly disappeared.
Omar Marmoush Doubles Egypt’s Lead
Egypt needed just four minutes of the second half to establish firm control.
In the 49th minute, Omar Marmoush converted after being supplied by Mohanad Lasheen, doubling the Pharaohs’ advantage and leaving South Sudan with a mountain to climb.
The hosts responded with several substitutions as they tried to change the direction of the match, while Egypt were forced to make a change when Fatouh went off injured in the 53rd minute.
Egypt’s strength in depth became increasingly apparent as the game progressed.
Ibrahim Adel Makes an Instant Impact
One of Egypt’s replacements played a major role in putting the contest beyond South Sudan’s reach.
Having entered the game in the 53rd minute, Ibrahim Adel made his mark in the 75th minute, converting from Marwan Ateya’s assist to make it 3-0.
The Pharaohs were not finished.
Marmoush struck again in the 83rd minute, this time benefiting from Emam Ashour’s assist, to complete his brace and stretch the scoreline to 4-0.
With South Sudan tiring, Egypt continued searching for more rather than simply seeing out the remaining minutes.
Hamza Abdelkarim Completes the Route
Marmoush was withdrawn in the 87th minute after an impressive two-goal performance, with Hamza Abdelkarim taking his place.
The substitute needed only a few minutes to get himself on the scoresheet.
Deep into stoppage time, Abdelkarim struck in the 92nd minute to complete an emphatic 5-0 victory for Egypt.
South Sudan 0-5 Egypt Goals
| Minute | Scorer | Assist |
| 36′ | Mustafa Ziko | Ahmed Fatouh |
| 49′ | Omar Marmoush | Mohanad Lasheen |
| 75′ | Ibrahim Adel | Marwan Ateya |
| 83′ | Omar Marmoush | Emam Ashour |
| 90+2′ | Hamza Abdelkarim | — |
Marmoush Leads Egypt’s Ruthless Second Half
While Egypt’s five goals were shared between four players, Marmoush’s brace was central to the emphatic scoreline.
His first goal immediately after half-time changed the complexion of the contest, while his second confirmed a dominant evening for the Pharaohs.
Egypt also demonstrated considerable attacking depth. Ibrahim Adel scored after coming from the bench before Abdelkarim repeated the trick in stoppage time.
For South Sudan, the final scoreline was particularly harsh, given they reached half-time trailing by only one goal. Once Egypt found their rhythm after the restart, however, the hosts struggled to contain the Pharaohs’ attacking threat.
What the Result Means
The South Sudan 0-5 Egypt result sends a powerful statement from the Pharaohs in the second round of AFCON qualification.
Egypt combined patience in the first half with ruthless finishing after the break, scoring four times in the final 45 minutes.
South Sudan, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly. Their resistance for much of the first half showed they could frustrate stronger opposition, but maintaining that defensive organization across 90 minutes will be crucial as their qualification campaign continues.
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Final Verdict
South Sudan 0-5 Egypt ultimately demonstrated the Pharaohs’ attacking quality and squad depth.
Ziko opened the door before Marmoush took center stage with his second-half brace. Ibrahim Adel and Hamza Abdelkarim then showed the impact available from Egypt’s bench as the visitors transformed a slender 1-0 half-time lead into a five-goal rout.
For Egypt, it was an authoritative AFCON qualifying performance. For South Sudan, attention must quickly turn towards correcting the second-half defensive collapse before their next qualifier.
