The East African nation will return to the AFCON for their 11 appearance, having already participated 10 times. Their first arrived during the inaugural edition held in 1957, which they hosted.
Sudan was one of Africa’s best teams, and had won the tournament in the 1970 also held at home just after Gaafar Nimeiry's coup, with its greatest striker being Mustafa Azhari Alawad.
However, after 1970, with Mustafa’s retirement, the Sudanese team began to suffer a long decline and Sudan would lose status as a major African power to the hand of other African teams.
The decline saw Sudan wait for 32 years to make its return in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished bottom with three straight 3-0 defeats.
Sudan would soon register its best performance up to date in 2012 AFCON, reaching the quarterfinals in the modern era, before suffering a tremendous crisis that continues to hinder the growth of Sudanese football.
After the 2012 edition, Sudan waited for another four years before making a return to the AFCON, qualifying for the Cameroon edition. The Cameroon edition was the 33rd, and saw a total of 24 teams competing in the tournament.
Sudan found themselves pooled in Group D alongside Nigeria, Egypt, and Guinea-Bissau. Their opening fixture was against Guinea-Bissau which ended in a 0-0 draw, before they suffered a 3-1 defeat against the Super Eagles. Their campaign came to an end after losing 1-0 against Egypt.
How did Sudan qualify?
The Falcons of Jediane defied the nation’s civil war to clinch a remarkable qualification during the final round of matches. After losing 3-0 against Niger, Sudan managed to secure second place in Group F after playing out a 0-0 draw against already-qualified Angola in Libya.
Angola led the group with 14 points accumulated from four wins, two draws, and zero defeats, while Sudan garnered eight points from two wins, two draws, and two defeats. Sudan further qualified at the expense of favourites Ghana, who finished top of the pile with three points.
When will Sudan be in action?
Under Ghanaian coach James Kwesi Appiah, who has achieved remarkable success with the national team, the Falcons of Jediane have been drawn in a daunting Group E alongside Algeria, Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea.
Sudan will start their campaign against the Fennec Foxes of Algeria on Wednesday, December 24 at Moulay Hassan Stadium, before returning for matchday two against Equatorial Guinea at Stade Mohammed V on December 28, Sunday.
Their final group fixture will be against the Stallions of Burkina Faso on Wednesday, December 31 at Stade Mohammed V.
What has coach Kwesi Appiah said?
Ahead of AFCON kick-off, the 64-year-old, who previously coached Ghana’s Black Stars, is confident of a good showing insisting their intentions in Morocco is to compete for the AFCON trophy.
“The goal is not just to participate but to fight for the trophy. I believe with the right mentality, we can achieve it. There’s no point in going to the competition if you don’t aim to win.
“We are going to Morocco with ambition and belief,” Appiah told CAFOnline.com in a recent interview.
On how Sudan will approach their group, he said: “We respect them, but we will not fear them. If you go into games thinking about names like Messi or Ronaldo, you lose the battle mentally before it begins. My message to the players is simple: believe in yourselves and play to prove what Sudan can do. We are here to compete, not just to participate.”
He added when asked what they want to achieve: “Step by step. First, qualify from the group. After that, the aim will be to eliminate whoever we face in the knockouts. Once you get there, anything is possible.”
Appiah concluded: “Our strength is in our collective energy and big hearts. Many of our young players can run tirelessly and are improving quickly. We also have one or two from abroad, including Australia, who can surprise people. Fans should expect some new names to shine.”
The AFCON 2025 will run from December 21 to January 18, 2026, and it will be the second edition to be hosted by Morocco, 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, Mohamed Kesra.
Midfielders: Abuaagla Abdalla, Walieldin Khidr, Abdelrazig Omer, Ammar Tayfour, Salaheldin Adil, Musa Hussain, Sheddy Ezeldin, Amar Yunis.
Forwards: Yasser Mozamil, Mohamed Abdelrhman, John Otenyal, Mohamed Essa, Elgozoli Hussain, Abobaker Essa, Mohamed Teya.
