A country ravaged by almost a two-year civil war defied the odds of unrest to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco after Sudan achieved the objective without being able to host qualifying matches at home.
The feat was masterminded by Ghanaian coach James Kwesi Appiah in a group that consisted his nation of birth which he once managed. Appiah supervised Sudan to qualify from Group F on 8 points, six behind group winners Angola and one better than Niger and five ahead of Ghana.
How he managed to assemble a group of home based players and a few who ply their trade outside Sudan to go past Ghana is a feat worth celebrating and Appiah talks of how he managed to instill a winning mentality in his charges.
“Qualifying for the AFCON was one of the targets I set for myself before I signed the contract,” Appiah told BBC Sport Africa.
“Another reason I signed was for the people in Sudan because of the war back home. The players have shown a lot of dedication. Who knows, maybe through football, the war might even come to an end. It’s a matter of psyching your players to let them feel they are Messi or Ronaldo. Wherever we go, that place is our home. Whether we have supporters or not, play for your family, yourself, and the country."
“This is something the guys can do to help change the war—or stop the war—in Sudan,” he said. “At least I’ve given them something to look at and then fight for.” Sudan were forced to play their home qualifiers in Libya due to the upheavals but they managed to remain steadfast in the face of challenges.
Kwesi Appiah has coached Ghana’s Black Stars in two separate spells and that includes guiding them to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil where they exited at the group stage. He has also handled club Al Khartoum FC of Sudan and Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko where spent the majority of his playing career.
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