Afcon ‘bringing hope’ to Sudan amid civil war
Afcon ‘bringing hope’ to Sudan amid civil war: Sudan’s involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is offering a rare sense of optimism to people back home during the ongoing civil war, according to forward Abobaker Eisa.
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Since April 2023, Sudan has been facing what the United Nations has described as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, triggered by a power struggle between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF).
The conflict has claimed more than 150,000 lives and displaced over 12 million people, with severe food shortages and allegations of genocide, particularly in the western Darfur region.
Because of the fighting, Sudan were unable to host any of their Afcon qualifiers on home soil. Despite this setback, they successfully secured qualification, marking only their fourth appearance at the tournament since 1976.
The former champions from 1970 will take on Algeria on 24 December, Equatorial Guinea on 28 December, and Burkino Faso on 31 December in the group stage. Eisa believes each fixture carries huge significance and serves as a welcome distraction for people back home.
“There’s a lot of bad things going on in Sudan. As players, we know how much of a big deal football can be to our nation,”.
“There’s not a lot of smiles at the minute, so we’re trying to use football as a way to get their minds off [the war].
“Even qualifying for the Afcon and having fans there to cheer us on – the fact that we’re there is already bringing hope.”
Eisa, who has previously played for several English Football League sides including Scunthorpe United, Bradford City, and Grimsby Town, is currently based in Thailand with Chonburi.
Meanwhile, fellow Sudan internationals who play for domestic giants Al-Hilal and Al-Merrikh have also been forced to continue their careers abroad. Ongoing instability has pushed both clubs to relocate, first to Mauritania and later to Rwanda.
Despite being far from home, the realities of the conflict remain close to the squad’s hearts. Eisa admits the situation can feel both emotionally draining and motivating at the same time.
“It’s difficult to block [the war] out. Some people’s families are still there, a lot of people’s families have been affected by this,” said Eisa.
“Obviously, you speak together [about] what’s going on, and how we could help, and donating wherever we can.
“Knowing that we could do something for them, it gives us strength. At the same time, it’s disheartening at times you can only do so much.”
He concluded: “As long as we go out there and fight for what’s ours, I think everyone will be happy.”
