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South Sudan
joined international football about three years ago (Photo: AFP)
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South Sudan will play in
their first World Cup qualifier when they face Mauritania on Wednesday, the
first leg of their preliminary round tie. Having joined international football only
in 2012, a year after the country became independent from Sudan, the team is
facing its biggest challenge.
They
go into the tie boosted by achieving their first competitive win on 5 September
- beating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
"We
are ready, totally ready. We know what we have to do and we can spring a
surprise," South Sudan captain Richard Justin Lado told FIFA's website.
BBC report continues:
"Our
coach Sung-Jea Lee has created a style of play that's based on defensive
discipline and counter-attacking football, and I think we can cause some
damage. We need to win, for many reasons, and we will win."
However,
Mauritania are ranked 55 places higher than their opponents and will be hoping
to stamp their authority on the game and finish the job when they host the
return leg on Tuesday 13 October.
Also
on Wednesday, Malawi will travel to Tanzania for the first leg of their tie.
The
Flames coach Ernest Mtawali has recalled South Africa-based striker Gabadinho
Mhango, who returns after a lengthy absence following surgery on a groin injury.
Goalkeeper
Richarcd Chipuwa loses his place to Simplex Nthala, who was previously banned
for a year by the Mozambique Football Association for alleged assault.
"Nthala
has been training with us for seven days and he has impressed the technical panel.
We are looking for a goalkeeper who is able to communicate well with the rest
of the team especially the defence. Nthala has just shown that in
training", Mtawali told BBC Sport.
The
Malawi coach has also included South Africa-based midfielder Robert Ng'ambi
despite a reported fall-out with the player.
Tanzania's
'Taifa Stars' will be eager to continuer their improved form of this year since
former national team star Charles Boniface Mkwasa replaced Mart Nooij from the
Netherlands as coach.
Mauritius
welcome Kenya and Seychelles host Burundi in the night's other two fixtures.
Kenya
will look to the likes of Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama to lead them to
victory but Mauritius captain Jonathan Bru want to spring a surprise.
"I
want to believe we can do it. Even the smallest win is a huge achievement for
us. Getting through to the group phase would be amazing for us," he told FIFA
Also
hopeful of causing an upset is Seychelles coach Ralph Jean-Louis.
"We
want to win our first match. We want to show the Seychelles people that we can
do it, and I have the players that can beat Burundi," he told FIFA.
Only five African nations
will make it to the 2018 world Cup final in Russia, after going through two
knockout rounds and a group stage.
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