The impressive Sudanese set off on the Cameroon 2021 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers will get into the crosshairs of other group members. With three points to the good, they top Group C which boosts Ghana and South Africa on show tonight. What a dream start!

Brutal Sudan hammered limpy São Tomé and Príncipe 4-0 in the 2021 Afcon qualifiers at Al-Hilal Stadium in Omdurman, Khartoum State, last night, Wednesday Nov. 13.

South Africa (SA) and Ghana, featuring in the same group [C], are playing in their first Afcon game tonight Nov. 14 at 21h00 (SA time) at Cape Coast Stadium in Ghana.

Sunday Nov. 17 sees the second qualifying matches as SA will host Sudan at Orlando Stadium, Soweto, in the afternoon [15h00] tie; while Ghana will travel to São Tomé and Príncipe the next day at Stade Nacional 12 de Julho Stadium Nov. 18, 2019 at 16h00.

Last night, this group treated fans to a gripping goal fest albeit one-sided. The hosts [Sudan] went up by two goals in the first half, thanks to Ramadan Agba (7′) and Ahmed Hamid Al-Tash (44′). The third to place the game beyond São Tomé and Príncipe’s reach was an own goal (OG) by Jordao Diogo in the 60th minute.

With their tails up, Sudan’s Mohammed El-Rasheed put São Tomé and Príncipe on the sword with the fourth (74′) and the visitors were salted and slaughtered. The rout was completed. The red card (22′) of the visitors’ first-choice goalkeeper Aldair D’Almeida made matters worse. And he will not turn up for the game against Ghana on Monday.

Although it will be a tard presumptuous to single out group winners at this stage, clearly São Tomé and Príncipe may wind up as the weeping boys of Group C following last Wednesday night’s obliteration away to Sudan.