In the middle of the civil war, the Sudan soccer team rushes from success to success. Even the qualification for the 2026 World Cup is tangible.
On Saturday (03/22/2025) Sadio Mané and his “Löwen von Teranga” on the outsider bite their teeth: The highly favorite team of Senegal did not get out of a 0-0 in the game against Sudan. What means for the African group B of the World Cup qualification: With eleven points from five games, the Sudan remains the leaders in front of Dr Kongo (10) and the Senegal (9) at the top of the Tableau.
It can no longer be dismissed: the country’s national team, which has been in a devastating civil war since 2023, could actually qualify for the 2026 World Cup. While up to 25 million people, half of the country’s total population, need humanitarian aid And so far around twelve million people have been sold, the football team has rushed to success from success.
Crisis as motivation
“The effects of the war are enormous for the team”says Abdelrahman Kuku, defender of the national team, in an interview with the “Deutsche Welle”: “The players take care of their families every day, because in such a situation everything can change within a second. “
However, the defender also sees the precarious situation at home as a kind of motivation: “With every game you know that you don’t just play for yourself, but that the whole country is waiting for success”says Kuku: “We go into every game with a lot of energy and know that we can make the country happy. The pressure is great, but it is more motivation than pressure.”
Next: home game against South Sudan
In Africa, the winners of the nine qualification groups qualify directly for the World Cup end tournament. Half of the games are now played. It continues for the Sudan, who is trained by Ghanaer Kwesi Appiah, on Tuesday (25.03.2025) with a home game against the South Sudan.
“Like Messi and Ronaldo” – KWesie Appiah
With a “home game” that is such a thing at the moment. In the Sudan itself, social life is currently not possible. Organized football is not played there these days. While the two best clubs in the country, Al Hilal and Al-Mersreikh, emigrated to Mauritania during the current season and play in the first division there, the national team moves to Libya to home.
Replacement home in Libya
There, in Benina, the team, which mainly consists of players from these two clubs, found a replacement home. Football is played on artificial turf in the football temple from Benghazi, which only offers a good 10,000 spectators. And the opponents of Sudans have their love and need to play the homeless team there.
Senegal was like this on Saturday, but numerous other greats of African football has already “caught”. The best -known victim of the “Falken of Jediane”, as the team is called, was recently Ghana, the home country of coach Kwesie Appiah. The 64-year-old, who led Ghana to the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, trained Sudan since 2023.
KWESI Appiah – “You play like Messi and Ronaldo”
And in the qualification for the Africa Cup 2025, which will be held in Morocco next winter, the Sudan won sufficiently place behind Angola in his quality. With Ghana, one of the greats of African football fell on the track. After a 0-0 away in Accra, the Sudan made a 2-0 home win in Benina against the “Black Stars”.
“I firmly believe in the team and tell her. Each one of them can play like Messi and Ronaldo”says Appiah. “Our appearances make people smile who otherwise have nothing to laugh about”says player Kuku: “When we play, it is the only joy that you feel and the only opportunity to smile about something that happens in your country.”