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IS SUDAN THE AFCON DARK HORSE: COACH KWESI APPIAH EYES SHOCK CHAMPIONSHIP WIN
Can Sudan repeat their 1970 glory? Coach Kwesi Appiah insists the Falcons are in Morocco to win the AFCON 2025 trophy, not just play.
After failing to make it past the group stage in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, Sudan is heading to the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, hoping for a better result.
This will be the East African team's 11th appearance in the tournament. They were there right from the start, hosting the first one in 1957.
Back in the day, Sudan was a top team in Africa, winning the tournament in 1970 on their home turf. This was shortly after Gaafar Nimeiry's coup, and their star player was Mustafa Azhari Alawad.
But after 1970, when Mustafa retired, the team went into a slump. They lost their spot as a major power in African soccer to other teams.
This decline meant that Sudan had to wait 32 years to get back into the Africa Cup of Nations in 2008. They didn't do well, losing all three games 3-0.
However, Sudan had their best showing yet in the 2012 AFCON, reaching the quarterfinals. Since then, they've been dealing with some big issues that have slowed down the growth of Sudanese soccer.
After 2012, Sudan had another four-year wait before returning to the AFCON, qualifying for the Cameroon edition. That tournament, the 33rd, featured 24 teams.
Sudan was placed in Group D with Nigeria, Egypt, and Guinea-Bissau. They started with a 0-0 draw against Guinea-Bissau, then lost 3-1 to Nigeria. Their run ended with a 1-0 loss to Egypt.
How did Sudan qualify this time?
Despite the civil war in the country, the Falcons of Jediane managed to qualify for the final round of games. After losing 3-0 to Niger, Sudan secured second place in Group F with a 0-0 draw against Angola in Libya. Angola finished top of the group with 14 points, while Sudan had eight points. Sudan qualified instead of Ghana, which finished with three points.
When will Sudan play?
Under Ghanaian coach James Kwesi Appiah, the Falcons of Jediane are in a tough Group E with Algeria, Burkina Faso, and Equatorial Guinea.
Sudan will begin against Algeria on Wednesday, December 24, at Moulay Hassan Stadium. Then, they will play Equatorial Guinea at Stade Mohammed V on December 28, Sunday. Their last group game will be against Burkina Faso on Wednesday, December 31, at Stade Mohammed V.
What does coach Kwesi Appiah say?
Before the AFCON starts, the 64-year-old, who used to coach Ghana’s Black Stars, said he believes they can do well. He said their goal in Morocco is to compete for the trophy.
“We're not just there to participate, but to fight for the trophy. I think if we have the right attitude, we can do it. There’s no reason to go to the competition if you don’t want to win.
“We are going to Morocco with ambition and belief,” Appiah told CAFOnline.com in a recent interview.
About their group, he said, “We respect the other teams, but we won't be afraid. If you think too much about big names like Messi or Ronaldo, you've already lost. I'm telling my players to believe in themselves and show what Sudan can do. We are there to compete, not just to be there.”
When asked what they want to achieve, he said, “One step at a time. First, we want to get out of the group. Then, we'll try to beat whoever we face in the next round. Once you get there, anything can happen.”
Appiah added, “Our strength is our team spirit and determination. Many of our young players are full of energy and are improving fast. We also have a few players from abroad, including one from Australia, who could surprise people. Fans should watch out for some new names.”
The AFCON 2025 will be held from December 21 to January 18, 2026. This will be the second time Morocco has hosted the tournament, after 1988.
Sudan squad for AFCON 2025:
Goalkeepers: Ali Aboeshren, Mohamed Elnour, Monged Elneel.
Defenders: Mohamed Saeed, Alyayeb Abdelrazig, Mustafa Abdelgadir, Yasser Awad, Bakhit Khamis (Captain), Mazin Mohamedein, Awad Zaid, Ahmed Abdelmonem, and Mohamed Kesra.
Midfielders: Abuaagla Abdalla, Walieldin Khidr, Abdelrazig Omer, Ammar Tayfour, Salaheldin Adil, Musa Hussain, Sheddy Ezeldin, and Amar Yunis.
Forwards: Yasser Mozamil, Mohamed Abdelrhman, John Otenyal, Mohamed Essa, Elgozoli Hussain, Abobaker Essa, and Mohamed Teya.
WHY IS MAX VERSTAPPEN SWITCHING TO NUMBER 3 FOR THE 2026 F1 SEASON
Why did Verstappen choose number 3 over 33? We break down the F1 rule change and the emotional nod to Daniel Ricciardo.
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Max Verstappen will use the number 3 on his car next season, switching from 33, which he's used for his whole Formula 1 career so far.
After winning four titles, Verstappen spent the last four seasons with the number 1, as is proper for the champion. But Lando Norris's win in Abu Dhabi changes things, and Verstappen is moving to a different number.
Verstappen said his favourite number has always been 3.
Norris said he would use the champion’s number on his McLaren next season. The rules about permanent driver numbers didn't allow drivers to switch numbers during their careers, except for the world champion.
Now, there's a new rule that lets drivers take available numbers. With Daniel Ricciardo gone and not planning to return to Formula 1, his old number, 3, will go to Verstappen, his former Red Bull teammate.
Verstappen wanted number 3 when he first came to Formula 1, but Ricciardo had it. Verstappen's website says Ricciardo helped with the number change, which suggests that Ricciardo is not planning on returning to the grid.
Talking to Dutch broadcaster Viaplay about his number in 2026, Verstappen said it won’t be 33. His favourite number has always been 3, besides number 1. Now that he can switch, he will.
He added that 33 was fine, but he likes one 3 better than two. He used to say it meant double luck, but he feels he's already had his share of luck in Formula 1.
The permanent driver number rules started in 2014. Drivers can pick any number between 2 and 99 to use during their Formula 1 career, but 1 is only for the reigning World Champion.
If a driver's first choice isn't free when they join the grid, like it was for Charles Leclerc [16], Yuki Tsunoda [11], and Carlos Sainz [5] before, they pick their second choice, and so on.
The only number no one can use is 17, which was retired to honour Jules Bianchi.
WILL ACHRAF HAKIMI LEAD MOROCCO: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIS AFCON FITNESS
Will Achraf Hakimi be fit for Morocco’s AFCON opener? Discover the latest injury news as the Atlas Lions prepare for the Comoros.
Achraf Hakimi's picture on social media in Rabat made every Moroccan football fan happy as the country gets ready to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) starting Sunday.
The 27-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star was seen wearing sunglasses, a red, white, and black sweater, baggy blue jeans, and dark suede sneakers.
But what he wasn't wearing was more telling. The surgical boot he had on his left foot while receiving the African Player of the Year award in Morocco last month was gone.
Hakimi, also picked for the 2025 FIFA Best XI this week, was hurt by a bad tackle from Luis Diaz during a UEFA Champions League game against Bayern Munich in Paris in November.
Diaz got a red card, but Hakimi had to leave the field with a badly sprained left ankle, leaving people wondering if he could play in the AFCON.
It was clear how bad the injury was when he walked with difficulty to get his award during the Confederation of African Football (CAF) event in Rabat.
Considered one of the best right-backs around, he's a key player for Morocco if they want to win the AFCON trophy for the second time after waiting for five decades.
But it's not clear when he'll be able to wear the red and green of the Atlas Lions, who have been ranked No. 1 in Africa since surprisingly making it to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals in Qatar.
Reports say that Hakimi came to Morocco with a doctor and physiotherapist from PSG and is still working on getting better. People are hoping he can begin practising later this week.
Everyone's wondering when the star, who played for Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Inter Milan before joining Paris in 2021, might come back.
Morocco's coach, Walid Regragui, said he doesn't want to risk his captain, which could mean he misses the three group stage games.
The team will play the Comoros in the first game on Sunday, then Mali on December 26, and Zambia three days later. All games will be at the 68,000-seat Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Mali could be their biggest challenge, but it's hard to see Morocco not finishing in the top two and moving on to the next stage.
The round of 16 starts on January 3, and that might be when Morocco hopes Hakimi, who was born in Madrid, will be ready to play.
"He's our leader, our captain," said Regragui, who was the first coach of an African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Morocco is a strong team in Africa, but their AFCON record since winning the eight-team tournament in Ethiopia in 1976 isn't great.
Since that win in Addis Ababa, they've only made it to one final, losing 2-1 to Tunisia in 2004, when Regragui was the right-back.
They were favourites to win the title in Ivory Coast last year after their performance in Qatar, but they lost to South Africa in the round of 16.
But right now, Morocco is playing really well, going into the AFCON with a world record of 18 straight wins in competitive and friendly games.
They passed Spain, who had the previous record, in October by beating Congo Brazzaville in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, and then they beat Mozambique and Uganda in AFCON warm-up games.
Plus, Moroccan fans are some of the most passionate on the continent, so it's easy to see why the Atlas Lions are favourites to win again.
But being the host doesn't guarantee success in the top African football tournament, which started in 1957 with just three teams and is now a big event with 24 countries and a worldwide TV audience.
Since 2000, there have been 13 AFCON tournaments, and only three hosts—Tunisia, Egypt in 2006, and Ivory Coast last year—have won the title.
Morocco's chances of being the fourth host to win this century will be much better if Hakimi is healthy and can lead the Atlas Lions.
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