‘Let’s party today’: Joy as Sudan defies war to qualify for Afcon
Ghanaian coach James Kwesi Appiah has guided Sudan to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament to be played in Morocco.
A new slogan that says “Let’s celebrate today, and leave tomorrow for tomorrow” has captured the hearts of the Sudanese people, reflecting a poignant lesson learnt amidst the ongoing civil war.
This wave of optimism comes after Sudan’s national football team christened ‘the Secretary Birds’ secured a spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) with a 0-0 draw against Angola in Benghazi, Libya, on November 18 to finish second in Group ‘F’ behind Angola.
Second-placed Niger also won, 2-1 over Ghana, but missed qualification by a single point. Second-placed Niger also won, 2-1 over Ghana, but missed qualification by a single point.
Sudan, a nation of over 48 million people, has been affected by civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023.
For the first time in months, Sudanese citizens went to bed with smiles on their faces as they celebrated the team’s fourth qualification for Africa’s premier national football team tournament. Sudan last won Afcon when they hosted it in 1970, a moment still cherished in its football history.
“This joyful moment is something we truly deserve amid the ongoing tragedies. The people of Sudan deserve to smile again,” said Haitham Mustafa, a former national team captain who is now a sports analyst with Al Jazeera Arabic. Mustafa expressed hope that football might serve as a beacon of resilience, signaling a possible resurgence for a nation beset by challenges.
Last Monday, social media and news outlets shared jubilant scenes of the national team celebrating in their dressing room, with players embracing the nickname “Sughanese,” a blend of Sudanese and Ghanaian, in honour of their coach, Kwesi Appiah.
The Ghanaian football legend, credited with leading the team to 2025 Afcon, has become a unifying figure for Sudanese fans. Under his guidance, Sudan finished the qualifiers with eight points, overcoming Niger and Ghana to claim a coveted spot in Morocco.
Despite early setbacks, including a heavy 4-0 loss to Niger, Sudan’s fans remained steadfast in their belief that their team would triumph. Their faith was not misplaced, as Appiah and his players delivered joy to a nation grappling with the anguish of an 18-month-long war.
For millions of Sudanese, football has offered rare moments of happiness, uniting people across divides that have long fragmented the country.
This unity was vividly illustrated when fans of Sudan’s two major football clubs, Al-Hilal and Al-Merrikh, set aside their fierce rivalry to rally behind the national team. A photograph from the Libyan stadium where the final group match was played showed fans in red and blue - the colours of the rival clubs standing together, flashing victory signs. This rare camaraderie underscored football’s power to transcend divisions, whether political, religious, or cultural.
The team also received significant backing from Sudan’s military leadership. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereign Council, provided a plane for the team’s travels to match venues across Tanzania, Ghana, Libya, and Mauritania.
Due to the ongoing war, Sudan was unable to host home matches, with training and preparation taking place in South Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, and Libya.
As the civil war continues into its second year, with over 15,000 lives lost and 8.2 million people displaced, moments like this AFCON qualification provide a much-needed respite. Amid one of the world’s worst displacement crises, Sudan’s national football team has emerged as a symbol of hope and resilience, reminding the nation of its shared dreams and aspirations. Sudan’s team is comprised solely of players based at African clubs, many of whom play for Sudanese rivals Al Hilal and Al Merrikh. Both are temporarily playing in the Mauritanian league due to the unstable political situation in Sudan.
Sudan has advanced beyond the group stage of the competition only once and have qualified for just three of the most recent 24 editions of the tournament.
Morocco will host the next one which is scheduled to begin on December 21 next year, and run until January 18, 2026.
