Latest news with #AlMerrikh
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Sudan soccer league returns despite ongoing Civil War
Sudan's soccer league has returned to the country for the first time since civil war broke out in 2023. The Sudan Football Association (SFA) has organised the eight-team Sudan Elite League, which will be played over the course of one month and which will determine the Sudanese clubs to compete in continental club competition for the 2025-26 season. Advertisement Sudanese rivals Al Hilal and Al Merrikh — who have between them won 49 of the previous 53 league titles — have both been temporarily playing league football in Mauritania, in north west Africa, due to the unstable political situation in Sudan. Last season, Al Hilal were CAF Champions League quarter-finalists and won Super D1, the top division of Mauritanian football, in 2024-25 with Al Merrikh finishing sixth. However, this did not allow either club to qualify for continental competition, with second-place FC Nouadhibou qualifying for the CAF Champions League courtesy of them being the top ranking Mauritanian side. The league started on Friday, July 4, with Al Hilal defeating Al Mirigani 2-0 while Al Merrikh beat Al Hali Madani 1-0. The derby between Al Hilal and Al Merrikh is set for the last day of competition on July 22, with Hay Al Wadi, Al Zamala, Al Amal Atbara and Marikh Al Obeid the other competing clubs. No matches are being staged in the capital Khartoum, which has been badly damaged by the civil war, with games instead being played at Atbara, 320km north of Khartoum, and Ad-Damer, 430km to the north east of the capital. Sudan, a nation in north east Africa of over 48million people, has been wracked by civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. Precise casualty figures are difficult to establish, with more than 150,000 people killed and around 12 million others displaced. Local media have reported over 500,000 children have died due to malnutrition. Widespread hunger, famine, and disease outbreaks have been reported to the United Nations Security Council. In October 2024, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Sudanese population were trapped in a 'nightmare of violence, hunger, disease and displacement' and said almost 25m people in the country were in need of humanitarian assistance. Advertisement In November, Sudan secured qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) despite the nation's ongoing civil war. Sudan won AFCON when they hosted the tournament in 1970, but have advanced beyond the group stage of the competition only once and have qualified for just four of the most recent 25 editions of the tournament. Morocco will host the next AFCON which is scheduled to begin on December 21, 2025 and run until January 18, 2026. (Top image of Sudanese side Al Hilal: Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 days ago
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Football Returns to War-torn Sudan as Elite Clubs Go Back Home
League football has returned to war-torn Sudan for the first time in more than two years with a one-month competition being organized for eight clubs to determine the country's champions. Sudan has been in the grip of conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with more than 150,000 people killed and about 12 million uprooted, creating the largest displacement crisis in the world. Among them have been the country's biggest clubs Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, who between them have won all but four of the championships since the league was created in 1965, according to Reuters. Last season, the pair were invited to play in the league in Mauritania, on the other side of the continent, where they could remain active and moved their club structures to the West African country, where Al Hilal emerged as champions. But they are both back in Sudan to take part in a tournament to decide which clubs will compete in continental club competition for the 2025/26 season. Al Hilal were quarter-finalists in this year's African Champions League despite having to host their home games on neutral territory. They were also weekend winners against Al Merghani Kassala in the first round of the Sudanese Elite Championship, which is being played at Ad-Damer, some 430km from the capital Khartoum, which has been badly damaged by the civil war. Matches in the tournament are also being hosted in Atbara, which is 320km north of Khartoum. There will be seven rounds of fixtures, and Al Merrikh also got off to a winning start over the weekend by beating Ahly Madani 1-0. Their derby against Al Hilal is set for the last day of competition on 22 July. The other clubs competing are Zamalek, Umm Rawaba, Al Amal Atbara, Hay Al Wadi Nyala and Merrikh Al Abyad, who will all each play each other once. Sudan's national team, who will compete in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco at the end of the year and are also chasing a first-ever World Cup appearance next year, have not played a home match since March 2023.
The Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Football returns to war-torn Sudan as elite clubs go back home
(Reuters) -League football has returned to war-torn Sudan for the first time in more than two years with a one-month competition being organised for eight clubs to determine the country's champions. Sudan has been in the grip of conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with more than 150,000 people killed and about 12 million uprooted, creating the largest displacement crisis in the world. Among them have been the country's biggest clubs Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, who between them have won all but four of the championships since the league was created in 1965. Last season, the pair were invited to play in the league in Mauritania, on the other side of the continent, where they could remain active and moved their club structures to the West African country, where Al Hilal emerged as champions. But they are both back in Sudan to take part in a tournament to decide which clubs will compete in continental club competition for the 2025/26 season. Al Hilal were quarter-finalists in this year's African Champions League despite having to host their home games on neutral territory. They were also weekend winners against Al Merghani Kassala in the first round of the Sudanese Elite Championship, which is being played at Ad-Damer, some 430km from the capital Khartoum, which has been badly damaged by the civil war. Matches in the tournament are also being hosted in Atbara, which is 320km north of Khartoum. There will be seven rounds of fixtures, and Al Merrikh also got off to a winning start over the weekend by beating Ahly Madani 1-0. Their derby against Al Hilal is set for the last day of competition on 22 July. The other clubs competing are Zamalek, Umm Rawaba, Al Amal Atbara, Hay Al Wadi Nyala and Merrikh Al Abyad, who will all each play each other once. Sudan's national team, who will compete in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco at the end of the year and are also chasing a first-ever World Cup appearance next year, have not played a home match since March 2023. (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Football returns to war-torn Sudan as elite clubs go back home
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox League football has returned to war-torn Sudan for the first time in more than two years with a one-month competition being organised for eight clubs to determine the country's champions. Sudan has been in the grip of conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with more than 150,000 people killed and about 12 million uprooted, creating the largest displacement crisis in the world. Among them have been the country's biggest clubs Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, who between them have won all but four of the championships since the league was created in 1965. Last season, the pair were invited to play in the league in Mauritania, on the other side of the continent, where they could remain active and moved their club structures to the West African country, where Al Hilal emerged as champions. But they are both back in Sudan to take part in a tournament to decide which clubs will compete in continental club competition for the 2025/26 season. Al Hilal were quarter-finalists in this year's African Champions League despite having to host their home games on neutral territory. They were also weekend winners against Al Merghani Kassala in the first round of the Sudanese Elite Championship, which is being played at Ad-Damer, some 430km from the capital Khartoum, which has been badly damaged by the civil war. Matches in the tournament are also being hosted in Atbara, which is 320km north of Khartoum. There will be seven rounds of fixtures, and Al Merrikh also got off to a winning start over the weekend by beating Ahly Madani 1-0. Their derby against Al Hilal is set for the last day of competition on 22 July. The other clubs competing are Zamalek, Umm Rawaba, Al Amal Atbara, Hay Al Wadi Nyala and Merrikh Al Abyad, who will all each play each other once. Sudan's national team, who will compete in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco at the end of the year and are also chasing a first-ever World Cup appearance next year, have not played a home match since March 2023. REUTERS
Express Tribune
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Sudan hold Senegal and stay top
Surprise packets Sudan survived a battering from star-stacked Senegal to force a 0-0 draw on Saturday, and remain top of African Group B in 2026 World Cup qualifying. Forced to stage home matches in Libyan city Benghazi because of the Sudanese civil war that has raged since April 2023, Sudan have 11 points halfway through the 10-round competition. Democratic Republic of Congo lie second with 10 points, Senegal have nine, Togo four, and Mauritania and South Sudan two each. The nine group winners in Africa qualify automatically for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. There could be a 10th qualifier if the winners of an African mini-tournament involving the four best-ranked runners-up finish among the top two in inter-continental play-offs. Senegal, seeking a third straight appearance at the global showpiece, dominated possession and had 19 goal attempts, but just four on target. There was no respite for the Sudanese, who also had to defend 11 corners as Senegal sought maximum points and first place. On the rare occasions Sudan broke into the Senegal half, they proved more accurate, getting three of seven goal attempts on target, including two near misses. Captain Ramadan Agab was among three Sudanese yellow-carded in three minutes during the second half, while star Senegal forward Sadio Mane was booked later. The Sudanese were the happier side at full-time having taken a point off a team that started with eight players from top European leagues and three from the Saudi Pro League. Sudan used seven players from their leading clubs, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh. Three are based in Libya and Abdelrahman Kuku is with an Australian second-tier side. Fleeing a war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and uprooted more than 12 million people, Hilal and Merrikh relocated to Mauritania, where they compete in the national league. Elsewhere, Togo and Mauritania remained winless in the same group after drawing 2-2 in Lome, where the home team led and trailed before Kevin Denkey equalised on 69 minutes. Thibault Klidje got the Togolese off to a great start by scoring after just four minutes. Aboubakary Koita levelled on 52 minutes and Abdallahi Mahmoud put Mauritania ahead soon after.
