For the first time in over two years, league football has resumed in Sudan despite the country’s ongoing civil conflict. A special one-month competition has been launched featuring eight top clubs, including giants Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, to crown a national champion and determine representatives for continental tournaments in the 2025/26 season.
The resumption of domestic football comes amid a devastating conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023. The war has claimed more than 150,000 lives and displaced about 12 million people, making it the world’s worst current displacement crisis.
Al Hilal and Al Merrikh—who have historically dominated Sudanese football—had relocated their operations to Mauritania last year to continue playing competitively. Al Hilal even emerged champions of the makeshift league in West Africa. Both clubs now return to Sudan to compete in the newly organized Sudanese Elite Championship.
Matches are being played in the relatively safer cities of Ad-Damer (430km from war-ravaged Khartoum) and Atbara (320km north of the capital). In the opening weekend, Al Hilal defeated Al Merghani Kassala, while Al Merrikh edged Ahly Madani 1–0.
The championship consists of seven rounds, with all eight clubs facing each other once. The highly anticipated Al Hilal–Al Merrikh derby is scheduled for July 22, the final day of the tournament. Other participating clubs include Zamalek (Sudan), Umm Rawaba, Al Amal Atbara, Hay Al Wadi Nyala, and Merrikh Al Abyad.
Despite the challenges, Sudan’s national team remains active on the international stage. They have qualified for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and are still in contention for a historic first FIFA World Cup appearance in 2026. However, they haven’t played a home match since March 2023.
This return of domestic football marks a symbolic step towards resilience and normalcy amid one of Africa’s most enduring conflicts.
