Sudan National Team in Libya: Soaring Homeland Away from Home
Al-Zain Osman
This evening, just before six oclock Sudanese time, at the "Shuhada Benina" stadium in the Libyan city of Benghazi, the national anthem of the Republic of Sudan will be played in honor of the Sudanese national football team as it begins its journey in the qualifying rounds for the 2026 World Cup.
Since the April 15th coup that moved the presidential palace to Port Sudan, as well as the national television and, due to it, the Sudanese radio to Atbara, and forced Al-Hilal football team to move to Morocco and then Tanzania, now the national team is traveling to Libya.
The Sudanese Football Association chose the Shuhada Benina stadium in Libya to be the venue for Sudans matches in its group, which includes Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Mauritania, and South Sudan. This decision was made due to the war conditions in Khartoum. It is the stadium where the chant "We are the soldiers of God, the soldiers of the nation" will resonate. Today, the national team players will miss the atmosphere of Khartoums stadiums, specifically Al-Hilal and Al-Merrikh, and, of course, the national anthems, such as "I am Sudanese and African," which thousands of Sudanese used to sing along with them during the anthems performance.
Away from home, the national team takes off. In times of war, the falcons of the Jedian attempt to soar for a country with clipped wings due to senseless warfare. The Sudanese national team undergoes significant changes. Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah leads the technical staff. The dream of adding European-based players is realized after a long wait. The English League One stars, brothers Mohamed and Abu Bakr Issa, are in the match squad but far from Omdurman. Abu Bakr Issas statements, conveyed by the Sudan Football Associations page, can be summarized in one phrase the player repeated: "We love this country."
The love of the country is the objective explanation for the connection between the fans and their national football team. Despite the decline in results and absence from major tournaments, the matches of the Jedian Falcons in the capital used to witness a large fan presence under the slogan "The nation forgets their old disappointments and starts their love anew."
Today, Sudanese who are denied security will be unable to follow their team and walk in Omdurmans "Al-Ardah" street towards the Hilal Stadium. Of course, all of this is due to the war. On the other hand, there are other Sudanese residing in Libyan territories who will fulfill their duty to support the team from inside the stadium. The significant Sudanese presence in Libya is one of the justifications for choosing Libya as the venue for the Sudan national team, prompting Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah to express his satisfaction with this support without overlooking the wars general impact on his team.
For the first time, Sudan enters a match with six professionals in European leagues to enhance its chances of winning Thursdays match. This is the second time Sudan competes in a continental event away from Sudan after facing Mauritania in Morocco following the outbreak of war for the qualifying rounds for the African Cup of Nations in Côte dIvoire. Sudan failed in that endeavor, and Sudanese await overcoming this failure after the replacement processes in their national football team.
Before their match, the "Jedian Falcons" will chant "This Land is Ours." The land that is now thousands of miles away from them. The land that trembles under the blows of death in the absurd war. Those inside it are missing, and those outside are born. The homeland, where some are under the gunfire, and some flee away from the gunfire and from their home and family. The homeland there, where people await joy in times of war and victory in times of defeat. They await three points on their way to the World Cup. They await defeating Togo, but before that, they await victory over the war. They await the end of death and the return of their national team to compete with their opponents inside Omdurman, so they can chant with their stars, "May our Sudan live as a flag among nations."
