Football has returned to Sudan for first time since war began

League football has returned to war-torn Sudan for the first time in over two years with the organisation of a month-long competition to decide the country’s champions, according to Reuters on July 8^th.

The Sudanese civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between the national military and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, has killed over 150,000 people and displaced around 13 million, causing what has been labelled as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Among those affected have been Sudan’s biggest football clubs, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh. Between the two, they have won all but four championships since the league was created in 1965.

Both teams were invited to the other side of the continent to play football in the Mauritanian league, allowing them to maintain fitness and match sharpness levels. They moved all club structures to Mauritania, where Al Hilal won the league.

The two sides have now returned home to Sudan to participate in a tournament which will dictate who qualifies to participate in the continental club tournament for the upcoming 2025/26 season.

Despite having to host their home games on neutral grounds, Al-Hilal made it to the quarter-finals of this year’s African Champions league.

They also won 2-0 against Al Merghani Kassala in the first round of the Sudanese Elite Championship, which is being played at Ad-Damer, roughly 430km away from the severely damaged capital of Khartoum.

Atbara, which is 320km north of Khartoum is also hosting some matches in the tournament.

Seven rounds of fixtures are scheduled, with Al Merrikh also emerging victorious in their first match after beating Ahly Madani 1-0. They are set to play their derby against Al Hilal on the final matchday on July 22^nd.

The other competitors are Zamalek, Umm Rawaba, Al Amal Atbara, Hay Al Wadi Nyala and Merrikh Al Abyad, who will play each other once.

The Sudanese national team, who are set to compete in the African Cup of Nations finals in Morocco this year have not played in their home country since March 2023, a month before the war commenced. The national team is also chasing a first World Cup appearance in 2026.

Reuters, Maghrebi.org