Football: Sudan’s ‘Falcons of Jediane’ retain unbeaten run to World Cup qualification

Sudan’s national football team retains its position at the top of Group B of the African Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, by holding Senegal to a goalless draw at the Martyrs of Beninah Stadium in Benhgazi, Libya on Saturday evening. The 0-0 result of this fifth-round qualifier match, characterised by a cautious performance from both sides, raises the as yet unbeaten Sudan score to 11, leading the Democratic Republic of Congo (10 points) and Senegal (nine points) on the Group B log.

Saturday’s match, held on neutral ground, follows a run of three wins and two draws in the competition thus far. The current tally of 11 group points represents the first time in history that Sudan has been in contention to compete in the World Cup.

A shot early in the second half by Sudan’s Walieldin Khedr just missed the goal. Senegal’s Sadio Mane had some chances late in the match, however all attempts on Sudan’s goal were blocked by keeper Mohamed Mostafa.

The Sudanese national team, popularly known as the Falcons of Jediane, will face South Sudan in the same Martyrs of Beninah Stadium in Benhgazi on Tuesday, March 25, in a crucial match to confirm the lead and enhance Sudan’s chances of qualification. South Sudan is in sixth place with just two log points in Group B, after losing three and drawing two of the matches it has played, conceding a total of nine goals.

The Sudanese team hopes that the Democratic Republic of Congo, its direct pursuer for the lead, will falter in the upcoming matches, to further enhance its chances of direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup. It is noteworthy that the African qualifying system stipulates that the first places in the nine groups qualify directly for the finals.

It is expected that the Sudanese team will play its next match in the qualifiers with the ambition of maintaining the top of the group and resolving the qualification early, in light of the strong challenges imposed by the rest of the teams in the group.

In 2017, FIFA issued a decision to suspend football activity in the Sudan because of “government intervention in the game”. This was lifted after the Sudanese government reversed the decision that had prompted the ban.