Sudan have moved level on points with Ghana in Group C of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers following a 2-0 victory against Sao Tome and Principe on Wednesday.

Forward Mohamed Abdel Raman and defender Saif Malik got the goals for Sudanese at the Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho in Sao Tome.

Raman, Sudan’s hero in the 1-0 win against Ghana, opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a fine strike after receiving a pass from Malik.

Malik turned scorer in the 53rd minute as he doubled the lead to ensure victory and boost the North African country’s chances of qualifying for the tournament after missing out on the last four editions.

The result means Sudan have nine points – the same as Ghana and South Africa, but the Black Stars remain top of the group due to their better head-to-head records.

Ghana face South Africa on Thursday at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. Coach Charles Akonnor’s men need to avoid defeat to secure qualification with a game to spare.

But, should the Black Stars lose, they can redeem themselves against whipping boys, Sao Tome and Principe in Accra on Sunday.