This achievement, secured at the expense of Ghana, a traditional powerhouse in African football, is remarkable given that the team has had to play all its matches abroad due to the suspension of the domestic league.
In Port Sudan, where countless displaced individuals face prolonged struggles for water and healthcare, the atmosphere transformed after the match, with car horns blaring and jubilant fans waving Sudanese flags from their vehicles.
This marks Sudan's 10th qualification for the continental tournament, providing a fleeting moment of joy to a country suffering from 19 months of warfare.
“Our joy after the game… could not truly reflect the emotions in our hearts,” expressed one ecstatic fan, Hassan Mohamed, to AFP.
In Port Sudan, which has served as the de facto capital since last year, fans congregated in cafes on Monday to watch the final group stage match against Angola, held in Benghazi, Libya.
Others anxiously followed the game on their mobile devices, holding their breath during the tense final moments, as reported by an AFP correspondent.
Despite the match ending in a goalless draw, Sudan clinched the second qualifying spot for next year’s AFCON finals from a group that included Angola, Ghana, and Niger.
As the referee blew the final whistle, chairs were overturned as fans leaped in celebration.
The jubilation spilled into the streets of the Red Sea port city, where car horns resonated in a chorus of triumph.
This marks only the second time since 1970 that Sudan, the champions of that year, has reached the AFCON finals in the last seven tournaments.
Unattainable Joy
(FILES) Men prepare for a football match near a date tree plantation in the beginning of the harvest season in Barkal, in northern Sudan, on September 15, 2023. – Football fans in Sudan, a country torn apart by war, are savouring a rare moment of pride after the national team qualified for the 2025 African Cup of Nations finals. (Photo by ASHRAF SHAZLY / AFP)
Social media was abuzz with images of the players as Sudanese users celebrated the team's qualification as a "rare source of happiness in challenging times."
Khalid Omer Yousif, vice-chairman of the Sudanese Congress Party, expressed on X that "their goal was to restore joy to the Sudanese people."
In a phone interview with AFP, sports journalist Nasr al-Din al-Fadalabi described the achievement as "an unattainable joy amidst sorrow."
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The violence has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced over 11 million people, with more than three million seeking refuge in other countries.
Internally, displaced individuals are grappling with worsening humanitarian crises and the looming threat of famine, even in regions not directly affected by fighting.
The war has wreaked havoc on the nation’s infrastructure, severely impacted the healthcare system, and led to the closure of most businesses.
Football has not been immune to the chaos.
Political Dynamics on the Field
(FILES) A Sudanese army soldier mans a machine gun on top of a military pickup truck outside a hospital in Omdurman on November 2, 2024. – The UN Security Council on November 18, 2024, will take up a draft resolution calling for an immediate end to hostilities in Sudan, where a war between two rival generals shows no sign of easing. (Photo by Amaury Falt-Brown / AFP)
With the domestic league on hold, Sudanese football has taken an unconventional route.
Home matches have been moved to South Sudan and Libya, while the national team has been training in Saudi Arabia.
Players have secured contracts overseas, including goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa, who is now in Tanzania.
Sudanese footballers in Libya enjoy local status, while others who previously played abroad have rejoined the national team.
Among them is Mohamed Eisa, a prominent forward who spent several years in British leagues and is currently playing in Iran.
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| A truck carrying gunmen affiliated with Sudan’s army drives on a street in the eastern city of Gedaref on November 11, 2024. – The war between rival Sudanese generals since April 2023 has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million, with 3.1 million of them seeking shelter beyond the country’s borders, according to the UN. (Photo by AFP) |
The conflict has also infiltrated the sport.
During an October match against Ghana, team captain Ramadan Agab made a victory gesture associated with army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, provoking his paramilitary opponents.
Burhan has publicly commended the team in statements and visits to the football federation.
For many Sudanese, this week’s qualification represented a moment of pride and solidarity.
"Despite the divisions among some and the numerous challenges... they (the players) have triumphed over every obstacle," remarked fan Akrama Ali Karamallah.
“I believe they will go even further, and as they say, nothing is impossible.”.