Sudan entered the African Nations Championships (Chan) as Rank -Outsiders – The home competition is almost non -existent in a country that was torn apart by the civil war, and the team had only a few days of training together.
Nevertheless, the Falcons of Jediane have the chance to reach the semi -final of Chan in which teams can only choose from players in their National League competitions.
Sudan has a domestic competition, but alone.
Sudan had not held a meaningful domestic competition since the outbreak of the conflict in 2023 between the army of the country and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which killed tens of thousands.
The two most successful clubs in the country, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, have played about 5,000 kilometers to the west in the Mauritanian league.
After a silence in the fighting earlier this year, they came back and came to six other clubs for a month -long Sudan Elite League of one month.
The Mini-League was organized by the administrative body of African football, CAF, to enable Sudan Select Clubs for the Continental Championships next season. It also created a Chan team.
That team only had four days to train for their arrival in Chan, where Ghanaian coach James Kwesi Appiah openly feared that his players could not be competitive with so little practice.
But the side found a road, twice pulled and Nigeria waved 4-0 to surpass their group.
Their quarterfinals against Algeria also ended level, but Sudan recovered 4-2.
Sudan matched their previous best in 2011 when they organized the tournament and reached the last four.
Midfielder Abdel Raouf attributes the team’s success to the technical staff under the leadership of Appiah, the former coach of the national team of Ghana.
«The secret is simple: teamwork,» said Raouf, who scored two goals, said Cafonine.
«Everyone in this team works towards one goal – to lift Sudan high on the African stage.»
Goalkeeper Mohamed Abooja, who saved two Spotkicks against Algeria, praised Appiah.
«The way he gives instructions, the way he motivates us,» said Abooja. «He is always so calm, and that helps us a lot»
According to the guidance of Appiah, Sudan also made the reduction of the 2025 African Cup of Nations in Morocco and led their group to qualify for the World Cup 2026.
Their quarter -final victory is not only celebrated in Sudan, but in the region, after the trio of hosts Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya all failed to continue to the next round.
«It was a sad night for the East African teams who were not lucky to survive in the quarterfinals,» said Kenyan sports journalist Elias Makori.
«But Sudan has saved the face (from) East Africans by becoming the last team.»
Sudan is confronted with Madagascar, the quarterfinals conquerors of Kenya, in the first semifinal in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on Tuesday.
Morocco meets Senegal in the second semifinal in the Mandela stadium of Kampala. The final will be played in Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi on August 30.
Published on August 25, 2025
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