Junior Bright Stars to face Senegal in crucial AFCON U23 qualifier in Juba

South Sudan’s U23 national football team will face Senegal U23 tomorrow in the first leg of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) U23 qualifiers at Juba National Stadium.

The Bright Young Stars have been preparing for the match as they seek to secure a positive result at home before travelling for the return leg.

South Sudan booked its place in this round after eliminating Djibouti U23 in the previous qualifying stage.

The team won the first leg 3–0 before losing 2–1 in the return match. However, the result gave South Sudan a 4–2 aggregate victory, allowing the team to progress to the next round.

Tomorrow’s match is expected to be a tough test for the South Sudanese side against Senegal, one of the West African teams with experience in continental football.

The Bright Young Stars will, however, be hoping to use home advantage and support from local fans to secure a good result ahead of the return fixture.

The match between South Sudan U23 and Senegal U23 will kick off at 3:00 PM tomorrow at Juba National Stadium.

The encounter offers South Sudan another opportunity to move closer to qualification for the 2026 AFCON U23 tournament.