Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah has successfully guided Sudan to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), marking a significant milestone for the team.
The qualification was sealed after Sudan played out a goalless draw against Angola in their final Group F match on Monday at the Martyrs of February Stadium in Libya.
Sudan finished second in the group with eight points, behind Angola, who topped the group with 14 points.
Appiah, appointed on a three-year contract earlier this year, achieved this feat despite Sudan’s political instability, which forced the team to play all their matches away from home. Undeterred, the team secured crucial points to book their spot in Africa’s premier football tournament.
A standout moment in their campaign came in October when Sudan stunned Appiah’s former team, Ghana, with a 2-0 victory. This win proved decisive in their qualification bid.
Appiah’s achievement draws parallels to the late Sir Jones Attuquayefio, another Ghanaian coach who famously led Benin to the 2004 AFCON—a year when Ghana failed to qualify.
This year, history repeated itself as Ghana’s Black Stars ended their campaign at the bottom of Group F, failing to win a single match and scoring only three goals in six games.
Sudan, who won their only AFCON title in 1970 as hosts, have struggled in the tournament’s modern era. They have advanced beyond the group stage just once and qualified for only three of the past 24 editions.
However, with Appiah at the helm, they now look forward to making their mark in the 2025 edition.