Against the backdrop of one of the world’s most devastating humanitarian crises, Sudan’s national football team has turned the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco into more than just a sporting campaign.
For the Falcons of Jediane, AFCON has become a platform for unity, hope and national healing as the country continues to bleed from a brutal civil war.
Sudan have defied expectations by qualifying for the round of 16, a remarkable achievement for a nation whose domestic football structure has all but collapsed.
Stadiums lie in ruins, the local league is suspended and millions of citizens have been displaced since fighting broke out in April 2023. Yet on the pitch in Morocco, Sudan’s players are carrying the weight of an entire nation.
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Few stories capture this reality better than that of forward John Mano. Speaking to BBC, Mano recalled the murder of his childhood friend Medo, who was killed while attempting to secure documents to leave the country.
“They didn’t even give him a chance. They shot him more than 20 or 25 times,” Mano said. “They asked him, ‘Are you working with the army?’ He wanted to explain, but they started shooting him.”
The pain in Mano’s voice reflects a wider tragedy. More than 150,000 people have reportedly lost their lives in the conflict, with over 12 million displaced.
Football, in such circumstances, feels insignificant and yet it has become one of the few remaining symbols of national identity.
“We don’t have a league, we don’t have anything,” Mano admitted. “But we can’t complain because people in my country, they can’t eat. They don’t have food.”
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Despite being forced to play AFCON qualifiers in neutral venues and dealing with unpaid bonuses, Sudan’s squad has found strength in togetherness.
Head coach Kwesi Appiah, who took charge in 2023, has had to console players grieving lost relatives while motivating them to perform.
“We try to let players know that even though they’re gone, they are looking at you and what you can do now for the nation,” Appiah explained.
“Sometimes I give the player two or three days off to help him come back to himself.”
Team captain Bakhit Khamis believes football has become Sudan’s emotional refuge.
“Football is the only relief we have as Sudanese people,” he said. “It’s the only thing that makes us happy and helps us forget the pain and suffering. Our goal has become stronger, Sudan first, Sudan above everything.”
The unity within the squad has extended beyond the pitch. After a crucial qualifying win against Ghana in Libya, the team learned that soldiers back home had celebrated the result.
“At least for one day, they put their guns down,” says Appiah, hoping that the war will “cease totally” to allow “everybody to come back home happily”.
I believe that, if by grace we can win it (Afcon), you never know. Expressing hope that peace will eventually prevail.
For Mano, football is no longer just a career, it is resistance.
“I see football as a weapon,” he said. “Some fans can’t even watch the match, not on TV or radio. Every day people are dying. We are trying to free our country the football way.”
As Sudan continue their AFCON journey in Morocco, their presence alone is a victory. In a time of unimaginable loss, their fight on the pitch offers a rare moment of unity and a reminder that even in war, hope can still find a way to play.
