Egypt thrash South Sudan 5–0 in Juba as Hamza Abdelkarim scores first goal
A clean sheet, a Marmoush brace that ended a 139-day drought and a first international goal for a teenager: Egypt’s night in Juba.
Egypt beat South Sudan 5–0 in Juba on 29 September to record their first win in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and go top of Group B on four points.
Playing without captain Mohamed Salah, who was rested because of the artificial pitch, Egypt took the lead through Mostafa Ziko in the 36th minute. Omar Marmoush doubled it after the break, Ibrahim Adel made it three off the bench, Marmoush added his second, and Hamza Abdelkarim completed the scoring in stoppage time.
Big gains
Marmoush’s brace ended a 139-day goal drought for club and country, and was his first double for Egypt. Abdelkarim, wearing the No. 9 shirt, became Egypt’s third-youngest scorer. Coach Hossam Hassan embraced the young striker at the final whistle.
The result followed a 0–0 draw with Angola in Cairo four days earlier, and coach Hossam Hassan said afterwards that the team could not depend on one player.
A night for the fans
After the final whistle, Abdelkarim stayed on the pitch for selfies with the ball boys, and Marmoush posed with a crowd of young fans: big smiles, peace signs and a memory they will keep.
