For more than two years, Sudan has been experiencing a brutal civil war that has divided cities, families and the national identity itself. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF paramilitary group has already taken the lives of tens of thousands of people and forced the displacement of more than 13 millionaccording to estimates of humanitarian organizations.
Abandoned bodies on the streets of cartoon, collapsed hospitals and widespread hunger have turned the country into one of the world’s largest humanitarian tragedies, according to the Him.
However, amid destruction, an unlikely force begins to unite the country: the National Football Team. The team, known as the JEDIANE HAVINGSIt is unbeaten in the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and disputes a direct spot with powers like Senegal – current champion of the African Cup of Nations.
With only four games to go to the end of the qualifying phase, Sudan is at one point in the leadership of Group B and can guarantee its first participation in history in a World Cup, scheduled to occur in United States, Canada and Mexico.
Football in the midst of war
Sudanese football has been practically paralyzed since the beginning of the conflict in April 2023. The main clubs in the country – Al-Hilal e Al-Merrikh -, fundamental in the formation of the selection, they reached an agreement with the Federation of Mauritania To compete for its National League during the war, thus ensuring pace of play to its athletes.
This measure has been essential to maintain the performance of the team, as more than 70% of the summoned come from these two clubs, according to the head of development of the Sudanese Football Federation, Mazin Abusin.
“The selection has become a symbol of hope. It is perhaps the only force that unites the country right now,” Abusin told CNN Sports. “When Sudan enters the field for 90 minutes, Army and RSF leave their differences aside.”
Benghazi, the “home” away from home
For safety reasons, the Sudanese team has sent its games in Benghaziin Libya, where a significant community of Sudanese refugees lives. The Mediterranean city has become one of the main destinations of those who run away from the war and also a symbolic stage for this unexpected journey towards the World Cup.
According to the journalist specializing in African football Alasdair How Shortsupport in the stands has been impressive. “Given the dimension of the Sudanese diaspora, especially in Libya, this selection is seen by many as the” Africa team, “he said.
This support extrapolated borders. Last year, in a rare gesture of solidarity, the selection of South Sudanhistorically rival, he sang the national anthem of Sudan alongside opponents before a friendly. In the last meeting between the two teams, the 1-1 draw kept the unbeaten hawks in the campaign.
From the lantern to leadership
Sudan’s recent rise is even more remarkable considering that, only three years ago, the country ended the 2022 World Cup campaign without winning any game.
The turning point came with the technician James Appiahwho bet on the talent of the Sudanese diaspora. Among the highlights are the brothers Mohamed and Abo Eisawho grew up in London and built their careers in the lower divisions of English football.
Mohamed Eisa is the team’s top scorer in the qualifiers, while Mohamed Abdelrahmanveteran and captain of Al-Hilal, occupies third place in the historical list of scorers of the national team.
said Howith. “They faced very high level opponents, such as Senegal and Democratic Republic of Congo. Nothing was easy.”
Collective Dream in the midst of chaos
Despite the excitement, many fans still have difficulty believing that the selection will keep the pace until the end. Abusin disagrees: “Maybe whoever sees outside thinks we’ll stumble, but inside the group everyone is dreaming. Getting here, under these conditions, is proof of how much these players have dedicated themselves.”
Interestingly, not being able to play at home may be benefiting the group. Training in Modern facilities in Saudi Arabiathe hawks are far from the pressure of the media and the local fans – a “side effect” that, according to Abusin, helps to maintain the focus.
“It’s a two -edged knife. Of course we would like to play at home, but we also have opportunities that we wouldn’t normally have in Sudan,” he said.
Fleeing the War
Like millions of compatriots, many players and members of the coaching staff also had to flee the country. Abusin himself recalls the moment he learned of the outbreak of the conflict.
“On the eve of the war, I was playing a Ramadan soccer tournament with friends. We had qualified for the final, scheduled for the next day. But when he woke up on Saturday, everything had changed. The country was at war.”
Two years later, the final of that tournament was never played.
Still, Abusin believes that football may be the missing link for a truce between the two sides of the conflict. “If we can join a place in the World Cup, why can’t we do the same for peace?”
What is at stake
With few games missing for the end of the qualifiers, Sudan is about to write One of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of international football.
“I do not know any country that has qualified for the World Cup facing the conditions that Sudan faces today – mass displacement, hunger, civil war,” said Howith.
An unprecedented vacancy would be historical. But for a people devastated by suffering and losses, It would be a powerful symbol of reconstruction.
“If we can, it will be to history,” concludes Abusin. “Pain will not be erased, but maybe it’s the first step to rebuild Sudan.”
